The Witch's Return
by Iceflare177
Summary: They thought saving Vale would be enough. But now, as old enemies give way to ancient enemies, Yang and her friends begin to realize that Cinder was just the tip of the iceberg. AU. Bumbleby.
1. Stranger in the Hollow

~~AAAND START!~~ (Stranger in the Hollow)

She shivered and shoved her hands into her pockets. The sun was rising at a gentle pace on the horizon, blanketing the courtyard in a soft, reddish glow. So, this where they tried to bury her memory… of course, it could never accomplish its job or do her justice, but it was the only place to her name now. Dawn's thin mist circled the gravestones as if it were the final breath of the dead.

 _Cinder Fall: False royalty, treason._

 _Executed in battle._

She smiled and exhaled, her own chilled air joining with the corpses' clouded tendrils. It was a stone that held far more glory than most. Not "Hanged," not "Scattered," not "Assassinated," not "Decapitated," but "Executed in battle." She deserved nothing less… for a title she wasn't to keep, that is. Beside Cinder's grave lay another.

 _Neopolitan: Massacre, treason._

 _Executed in battle._

Fresh flowers adorned this grave—tiger lillies from outside of Vale. She picked up a few and smelled them before setting them down in front of Cinder's stone instead. "I'll see you soon… Cinder," she whispered. The name was sweet and heavy on her tongue. Soon could never be quick enough, but she needed to have patience. It was her duty to do this correctly, methodically… no matter how unbearable the task. She belonged to Cinder, and she would have her back.

Emerald would have her back.

/-/-/-/

The watchman pursed his lips and fought a yawn. He had the misfortune of quite literally being assigned the graveyard shift. It was not a task he was intent to keep. Every guard started out on watch; even his mother, his inspiration, was first assigned to patrolling pig farms. She was never able to rid her clothes of the scent, and he was never able to rid his conscience of the eerie. Just now, he saw an unfamiliar figure walking through the mist. Even when he rubbed his eyes, it still continued towards the lake and stopped. Then, a red stare trailed back to him. Then, nothing.

He turned his chair towards the lake to watch for more signs of the intruder… It was a still night, but the torches along the dirt path flickered and threatened to extinguish. A blackowl hooted nervously, sending a shiver down his spine. Whipping out a sheet of scratch paper from his desk, he hastily scrawled out a very persuasive letter on having his assignment changed.

Just after he tucked the letter in his pocket, he was killed.

/-/-/-/

King Neptune sat in his office, looking over reports and general grievances. Being king had more to do with signing and sealing things than anything else. Of course, there were the occasional meetings and balls, and there were the couple of hours he spent on the throne each day, but all of his free time was buried under stacks of paper. Nonetheless, Neptune was determined to finish before the end of the day. A diplomatic friend from Atlas had sent him a sci-fi book, and he was dying to open it.

A tentative knock at the door roused him from his work.

"Your Majesty, a word."

"Come in."

"Right." The guard entered. "We've received a report of paranormal activity that may have something to do with this aura you've spoken of at the meetings."

"Really?" These reports weren't unusual. After the rebellion, people were far more willing to call anything mysterious an act of aura. It was to blame for every cold and stubbed toe, and the topic was a crowd favorite during every public interview. Neptune made it his personal goal to change the public's opinion, but that was proving difficult to say the least. People had long forgotten that there was a difference between fact and fiction when it came to aura.

The guard cleared his throat. "Your Majesty?"

"Sorry, please continue."

"Of course. The aura usage, if there was any, occurred in Traitor's Hollow."

"Uh-huh…"

"It would be better if you looked at the evidence yourself, Your Majesty."

Neptune took the letter handed to him and unfolded it. It was soaked in blood, making many of the words illegible.

 _My family is respectable and my word is true. I see a witch of the lake… she walks without caution but treads lightly… eyes… the time is… perhaps… my imagination… change my duty to something more sensible. I send this… region captain… beg of you… I feel as if I am a member of the dead here._

The rest was lost.

Neptune flipped the letter over, but found nothing of note on the back. "I take it he's deceased?" he asked, flipping it back over and rereading it.

"He was confirmed dead soon after dawn by the relieving watch, yes."

"Uh-huh… It certainly makes a murder case."

"We found footprints near the lake that presumably belong to a woman. They lead directly to his position, which could be taken to mean that the killer was an experienced assassin capable of hiding herself. The wound that killed the guard did not seem otherworldly… I would not suspect aura in a case such as this."

"Based on the evidence, I would agree. The victim was probably too afraid to think rationally." Neptune sat back in his chair and puffed out a breath. "Well, what are the other guards saying?"

"Most of them suspect aura. This is likely because of the sign-in chart. The last person to sign out that night was Yang Xiao Long."

Neptune's eyebrows shot up. "What? Yang?" He stole the chart from the guard's hands and read it himself. Sure enough, Yang's name was the last one on it. "What was she doing there?" he mumbled, deep in thought. She and Blake had just gotten back from a quest outside the kingdom. It was possible they'd accepted a new quest before they arrived in town, but the time window was too short. The visit had to have been personal, not work-related. And why would she go so late at night? Alone, no less?

"Most of the investigative team thinks murder. Ms. Xiao Long's eyes have been known to change color… She's our top suspect at the moment. There's a patrol lined up to take her into custody for questioning later this evening."

Neptune stared at the guard for a moment before tossing down the sheet. "Okay," he sighed. "I want both the guard and Intelligence out of this."

"But—"

"What? Asking her questions was a good idea. I want to ask her about that night myself, but taking her into custody? Do you think it's okay if you look at some evidence, make a few hasty conclusions, and bam, an innocent person winds up in jail for the second time?"

The guard shifted uncomfortably. His eyes flicked to the sign-in sheet. "I assure you, we followed protocol—"

"Did you? Or did your team just wanther to be guilty?" Neptune realized that the only reason the guard was here today was to get his permission to arrest Yang. His blood began to boil. The guard would have executed their suspect already if that plan didn't involve a certain adventurer.

Neptune scowled.

"Just how many investigations do you run like this? I can prove to you right now that Yang didn't do it, and I've only seen two pieces of evidence." He shook the papers in his hand. "Two!" Taking a breath, he tabled his anger and continued.

"First of all, Yang signed in while the guard was on shift, so why didn't he just refer to her by name in his letter? Why did he even write the letter at all? He was obviously distressed by someone he hadn't seen before. And, Yang fights with her fists, not blades."

"She could have snuck up on him with a dagger," the guard defended.

"Then why would she sign in in the first place? And what reason would she have for killing him? What's her motive?"

Realizing he'd stepped on a rapier wasp's nest, the guard conceded. "I… It seems there was a lapse in protocol on our part. We were wrong to charge her with murder without sufficient answers. On behalf of the entire investigative team, I apologize, Your Majesty."

Neptune nodded. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Of course. I will notify Intelligence and the team immediately."

"Thank you. If that's everything, you may leave the file and go."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The guard set the case file down on the desk, and made sure to close the door softly as he exited the room.

/-/-/-/

Sun staggered into the king's dining room. His legs were wobbling, and he looked sick. Even his tail was drooping; he almost sat on it when he collapsed into a chair. "'Sup, Neptune," he huffed. "How's it going?"

"Dude, what happened to you? You look like you're about to be sick," Neptune frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, you know… I just finished a pancake-eating competition over at Nora's." Sun's eyes lit up and his tail flicked excitedly. "You'll never guess who won!"

"Uh… I don't know, who?"

"C'mon, guess!"

"You?"

"Pfft. I wish."

"Okay, then who?"

"Blake! She ate thirty pancakes!"

"What? No way!"

"I know! She pulled that out of nowhere. It was super awesome—you should come to the next one."

"I would, but I'm pretty sure my schedule's booked for the next fifteen years," Neptune sighed. His dreams of reading something entertaining had been shattered when three more stacks of paper were delivered to his office. If he didn't hire someone to help him out, he'd never live to see the end. That said, he didn't trust anyone but himself to do the job.

"Sucks, man… Well, speaking of schedules, what did you do today?" Sun inquired.

"The usual. Paperwork, yelling at the guards for social injustices, demanding change we don't have the proper support for…" Neptune sank into silence for a second, then snapped himself out of it. "Oh, by the way, will you give this to Yang and Blake?" He slid the case file across the table. "This murder case just came in. A guard was killed in Traitor's Hollow… it might be related to aura, so I'd prefer they look into it."

"Ugh, but I just saw them! Now I have to go all the way back to their region?" Sun moaned in distress. "These pancakes feel like a bunch of rocks in my stomach. I think I'm gonna burst." Taking a big breath, he picked up the file, lazily leafing through it. "This looks interesting. Maybe I could help out?"

That struck an unhappy chord. "You know, if you'd decided to join Intelligence, you would have been the first person I asked… but you didn't," Neptune stated pointedly.

"Neptune," Sun sighed. He put down the file. "You know why I didn't join. And, besides, I like where I'm at."

"Dude, do you know how bad it looks for me when my best friend is a thief?"

"Well, I can't help how other people feel about me!"

"No, but you could get a real job."

Sun frowned. "No offense, Neptune, but I don't need you telling me how to live my life. Just say I'm your informant or something if you're worried about it, but I'm not changing anything."

"You want me to lie?"

"No, I want you to stop bringing this up every time we see each other, which isn't very often these days. And, I tell you tons of things about the Faunus!"

"Yeah, but you don't need to be a thief to learn them."

"Actually, yeah, I kind of do need to. You think a lot of Faunus are out there wearing business casual?" Sun dropped it and sank back into his chair. "I just want us to have fun, not sit around arguing about stupid stuff. I feel like that's all we ever do these days."

"This isn't stupid, Sun. I'm serious." Neptune exhaled through his nose. "But, whatever. You're not going to listen to me, so I guess you're right. We should try to have fun."

Sun grinned. "See? I knew you'd see it my way."

Neptune was unimpressed. "Sure, dude." He cleared his throat. "So, what else did you do today?"

"Let's… not talk about that."

/-/-/-/

Yang and Blake retired to the library, excited to look over the murder case Sun brought them. Between writing reports on Faunus equality outside the city, overseeing trade shipments, and other investigative matters, Neptune was proving to be a very reliable source of employment.

Yang flipped through the file, which was spread onto both of their laps. "It looks like they cleaned up the crime scene yesterday… but I wonder if they missed some things."

"Knowing the guard, they probably did," Blake remarked.

Yang nodded. "We should check it out tomorrow morning."

Humming in agreement, Blake examined the evidence before her. The sign-in sheet caught her eye, and she picked it up. When she read the last name listed, her eyebrows raised in surprise. Yang went out on her own every so often, but Blake wasn't expecting her destination to be a graveyard. "Why were you in Traitor's Hollow?" she asked.

"Oh, that?" Yang laughed nervously. As it died down, her eyes glazed over with pain and guilt. "I… was visiting Neopolitan's grave. I guess it still bothers me…"

"That's understandable." Blake still thought about Adam more often than she would care to admit. The way he just… slumped over after he died. The way her blade cut through him as though he weren't made of anything strong enough to torment her. The burning guilt she felt, even though she knew she had no choice.

She wondered what Yang was going through. After all, Yang couldn't even remember killing Neopolitan. Sometimes, Blake thought that gap in memory could be counted as a good thing, but she knew it came with its own demons.

She wished she could make Yang feel better. Take those demons away. Without Yang, she couldn't make it through all the sleepless nights and haunted days. She hoped she could return a fraction of that comfort. "The next time you go to the hollow, you should tell me. I'll go with you."

"Thanks, Blake," Yang smiled.

Blake smiled back, and they moved on. Refocusing on the case file, she examined the evidence. "The guard didn't seem to know his attacker, so it probably wasn't personal."

"Could she have been a hired assassin?"

"I doubt it. If she was, she wouldn't waste time walking around the lake. If he saw her and called for help, she would risk getting caught."

"True… So, she was probably there for another reason." Yang flipped back through the evidence. "It says here his throat was cut cleanly open… She probably knew how to use a blade. Maybe she was looking for something in the lake?" She thought about it, then shook her head. "No, there's nothing out there. She was definitely there to visit a grave."

"If she didn't sign in, she also didn't want anyone to know her name or that she was there. A fugitive?" Blake suggested.

"Or a grave robber… Or both." Yang picked up the letter. "But then why did she leave this? I mean, if I didn't want anyone to know about me, I'd destroy all the evidence."

"I'm not sure. The case file just says it was found on his person."

"Wow, that's super specific," Yang grumbled. "But, the letter definitely seems off. I think we should visit the crime scene before we draw any more conclusions."

"I agree."

Yang closed the case file. "It's been a while since we've taken a quest in the city. I'm sure Ruby will be happy to know we'll be staying for a while."

"We should thank Neptune for the job," Blake said.

"Yeah! Either he's pulling strings to get us these quests, or nobody wants to take them."

"I'm sure no one wanted to fight a nest full of giant Nevermores."

"Well, you never know," Yang shrugged. "But, I'm sure he's got our best interest in mind. I guess you could say I have unquestioning faith in him."

Blake smirked and rolled her eyes at the pun. "You set that one up."

"You know I did, Blakey," Yang winked. "And I'd do it again!"

Blake raised an eyebrow. They shared a look for a moment, then broke into laughter.

/-/-/-/

Virtually no one visited Traitor's Hollow. It was dark and damp in all the wrong ways, it was plagued with low visibility, and the graves always seemed seconds from revealing an undead army. It was only natural for a guard to be suspicious of anyone who visited for a purpose beyond maintenance. Blake wished this guard would hurry up and get rid of his suspicions, though.

"The famous witch adventurers. Mind telling me why you're here?"

Blake was about to answer when Yang took a breath and managed an apologetic smile. "Truth is, we're here on important business. I was actually hoping you could help us out with that…" she said, holding his gaze for a millisecond too long.

Noticing the cues, Blake realized with some discontent that Yang was flirting with him. It wasn't the first time this had happened, but it always caught her off guard. It was surprising how many people Yang could charm. Blake doubted there was a single person on the planet immune to her when she was determined to get what she wanted. And, even if it resulted in free food, or loosened informative lips, having to witness Yang's seduction always put her in a bad mood.

The guard's eyes wandered for a split second. "Business? What kind of business?"

Yang smirked, knowing she had him.

Blake folded her arms.

Yang approached him, her feminine body language becoming more assertive with every step. "We heard about that murdered guard…" Without the guard knowing it, she was slowly taking control of the encounter.

"Oh, him?"

By now, Yang was close enough that the torchlight danced in her hair. "We want to catch the killer. If you have any information, I would find that helpful," she simpered.

Blake suppressed a wave of nausea.

"Hmm… well... I found him. It was… I trained with him. Good guy. Found him right where I'm standing, sitting in his chair… He had bad feet. Needed to sit."

Yang nodded understandingly.

The guard continued, encouraged. "Anyways, he had his throat cut open and he was facing the lake… There was blood everywhere… Found a letter sticking out of his pocket. The killer must of missed it… Probably a damned witch. If not, he would have noticed someone approaching him." After a second, he glanced at Yang. "Oh. No offense, but most of you guys aren't so pleasant… I was supposed to relieve him of his watch, but all that was left of him when I got there was the letter... That help?" He paused. "Hey. What's got you so interested in this, anyway?"

"Let's just say… we don't appreciate others giving aura users a bad name," Yang replied.

"I get it. You're definitely friends of the king."

Yang smiled warmly. "We definitely are."

He nodded.

Blake cleared her throat.

Yang shot her a look, warning her not to throw the conversation off-balance. It would be hard to get his guard down again. "Would you mind letting us sign in?" she asked.

"Sure…" He handed them the sheet. "Hey," he realized. "That night, on the sign in chart…"

Yang froze. The last thing they needed was for him to get suspicious.

"If you could find who signed out last, you might get a lead."

Exhaling in relief, Yang nodded. "We'll be sure to look into it. Thanks," she said sweetly.

"Mhm. Go on through. I'll be here when you leave."

At that, Yang and Blake finally entered the hollow.

"That was easy," Yang remarked.

Blake narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, but Yang wasn't looking. The conversation moved on to the victim. "The killer's footprints led right to him, but he never left his chair," Blake noted.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Yang asked.

"That the killer used aura to conceal their location?"

"Yep! I'm also thinking that could explain her eyes." They arrived at the lake. "So, she was probably standing here and looking back." Yang faced the outpost. "I can't see that much. It's still too dark. Maybe we came too early."

Blake shrugged; she could see just fine. A moment later, that observation struck a chord. "What if the killer was a Faunus?"

"Mm." Yang surveyed the hollow. Hundreds of markers stretched into the shadows. "Well, then the dark wouldn't have bothered her…" She looked thoughtfully at Blake. "And, your eyes do glint in the dark. I see your point, Blakey," she said with a sly smile.

Blake managed a breath of laughter at the pun, then moved on. "A Faunus would also be more likely to have aura."

"True. So, which grave do you think she was visiting?"

"There's no way to know."

"Yeah, I… hate to say this, but we might have to check them all," Yang winced. They both sighed. "I'll go this way, you go that way?"

"Okay."

"I'll let you know if I find anything." A few minutes into her search, Yang ran over to Blake. "Hey, I found something!" They hurried to graves with familiar names. Cinder Fall… that wretched queen had flowers in front of her grave. "I put these same flowers in front of Neopolitan's grave the day of the murder."

Blake's stomach sank. They stood there, running through all the gut-wrenching implications in their minds.

Eventually, Yang spoke. "It's… not over, is it?"

~~AAAND STOP!~~

AN: Hey! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter... It's going to be a fun ride! Just so you all know, this story is already complete. All that's left is to edit and post!

If you want to read the prequel to this story, check out _The Witch of Vale,_ which is also on my account.

Please review, follow, and favorite... Staying connected with my readers is very important to me, so I'll also answer any questions you may have throughout the course of the story :)

 **One-time disclaimer:** I do not own RWBY, and I will continue to not own it even after this story is finished.

See you next chapter!

 **NEXT:** Search and Termination


	2. Search and Termination

~~AAAND START!~~ (Search and Termination)

Deep beneath the grand church, there is said to be a room of secrets collected over the years so vast that the archive alone could tear the modern world apart. Few have seen the inside, and fewer still are allowed to take the materials home for further study. Only the closest friends of the king and the highest members of the church were allowed such privileges. Emerald was neither of these, but as the former head of Intelligence, forging the correct documents was an easy task.

"Hello, Master," a demure old man greeted from behind the desk outside the archive. In all his years, he'd never seen the inside of the room he'd sworn to protect. "How may I service you?"

Emerald smiled innocently. "I'm looking for a few books… perhaps you could tell me which sections they're in?"

"Of course… which volumes do you request?"

She slid a list to him. "Everything on this."

His bushy eyebrows raised in surprise. "I must say, Master… the materials you've requested have become quite popular recently."

"Have they?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, they are not currently within the archive."

Emerald narrowed her eyes. Had she been discovered? "Might I ask who has them?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot disclose that information to you. We uphold the highest level of secrecy here, you understand."

"No, I totally get it. I just… I really want to read them. There's so much I have to learn."

"I completely understand. I will send a messenger to retrieve you the moment the materials have been returned to the archives."

"Thank you... Have a good day."

"Same to you, Master. May the Goddess keep you in the light."

Emerald turned her back on him. Her smile twisted into a scowl. She would have to do this the hard way. Taking a deep breath, she activated her semblance, creating the illusion that she was walking away while she actually went to read the logbook.

Glancing at the entries, her features darkened. Every last book on her list was checked out to Bartholomew Oobleck. He was a rebel and a historian, but not very close with Neptune. Emerald figured the chance she'd been discovered, and that measures had been taken to prevent her from obtaining the books was low. It was more likely an interest in the same subject that drove Oobleck to the archive.

Flipping through the logbook, Emerald confirmed that he was the only person to come in contact with the books within the last few months. When the old archivist said the books were "popular," he probably meant they had been dusted off once or twice in the last year.

Through all of this, he focused his gaze on the desk. He was staring at an illusion Emerald had crafted—to him, the logbook hadn't moved a millimeter, and she was already halfway up the next flight of stairs.

Emerald sighed and flipped the real book back to its original position. Though they aided her now, her illusions had cost Cinder her life. If Emerald hadn't used up all of her strength to stab Sun… If she hadn't tricked him into letting his guard down… she would have been able to continue fighting, and Cinder would still be…

Instead, Emerald woke up on the roof of the castle with a splitting headache, a bloody nose, and a piece of her soul torn out.

She made her way up the stairs and cancelled the illusion. Why was she so weak? When Cinder needed her most, she failed her. She had to fake her body being buried while right next to her, the person she'd sworn her life to was given a mockery of a ceremony! Emerald had no one to mourn with. When the final shovel full of dirt was cast, the officials—the only audience—applauded. As if not Burning her body wasn't enough…

Emerald shook her head. It wasn't over yet. She still had a chance, she just needed to find those books. She would do anything it took. If it was necessary, she would give her own life to accomplish her task.

Her pulse stabilized when she deactivated her aura. Its appearance had changed since the rebellion. Now, her aura was an uneasy, ghostly wisp. Emerald thought that was fitting. She may well have been a specter haunting Vale; she felt like a hollow shell. Deep down, guilt and shame and grief had gnawed a vacancy in her being. Her current mission was the only thing keeping it from devouring her.

As she stepped out of the grand church, she sank into the shadows. Bartholomew Oobleck…

In time, Emerald mused, even historians became history.

/-/-/-/

The dungeon beneath the castle was surprisingly expansive. Yang wasn't aware it had more than one level, but she hadn't exactly had time to explore the place the last time she was here. Her and Blake's current escort, a royal guard, led them quietly along maze-like corridors.

The sound of rushing water echoed through the hallway. Blake's ears flicked. She glanced at Yang, who furrowed her brow in bitter remembrance.

"The waterfall ahead connects to the witch rooms. Which prisoner would you like to see first?" the royal guard asked.

"Torchwick," Blake answered.

"Then, please follow me to the end of the hall."

Roman Torchwick sat on his bunk near the waterfall, which had broken into the dungeon long ago. His cell was half taken by it and plagued by an interminable wetness. He would do almost anything for fresh air.

At times, he considered throwing himself into the wall of seawater and ending it all, but he would always stop at the edge. Droplets of water would hit his face, he would shiver and grumble, then he would return to his bunk. When the water's temperature no longer affected him, he would begin to contemplate his fate anew. What had his life become? Condemned for as long as he lived to some damp cell in obscurity… These days, he envied those who were only six feet under. The only thing keeping him going was that somewhere beneath him, Mercury was chained above a sewage grate. Roman had never valued not having an aura quite like he did now.

"Torchwick. Visitors," the royal guard announced.

Yang and Blake walked into his cell and asked the guard to give them some time. They were allotted ten minutes. Roman could hardly believe his eyes. He'd almost forgotten that not everyone wore a full suit of armor and barked when they wanted things done. Then again, he would rather be alone than be at these two's disposal.

"Blazing Blondie! Kitty Cat! I was beginning to think you guys had forgotten about me! Let me guess… miss me so much you just couldn't stay away?" Roman welcomed with facetious warmth.

"I wouldn't say 'miss' is the correct word," Blake returned.

"Oh, I would," Yang smirked. "We've got a lot of catching up to do, don't we?"

"Do we? Well, you could have written."

"Tell us who else Cinder was working with," Blake ordered.

Roman shrugged and threw up his hands. "My, my. Straight to the point. Aren't you going to ask me how I've been all this time?"

Blake unsheathed her sword and held the tip to his throat. "Talk."

"And… what if I don't want to? I mean, at least offer me a nice place to sit and some tea first."

"We're not leaving without the information."

"What, you think you can come into my cell, rough me up a little, and I'll spill all the beans? Give me a little more credit than that, will you?"

Yang raised her eyebrows. After a moment of silence, she gestured towards the waterfall. "You've got a pretty nice room in here. A little damp, though, don't you think?"

"No, no, I specifically requested the interior designer make it this way. You of all people should know the wonders salt water works on the skin, eh, Blondie?"

Yang abruptly turned to face him. "You sure you want to go there?" She inspected him. "You know, Roman, you don't look very clean. I think you could use a shower…"

"I can assure you I'm very clean." A bead of sweat formed under the brim of Roman's hat. He could tell she wasn't bluffing. The thought of facing that water… She wouldn't kill him, she would just push his head in until he inhaled it. He wouldn't be surprised if her friend shocked him in the process. The itchiness from the salt alone...

"Oh, really? Then maybe you should start talking," Yang said through gritted teeth.

"Well, what do you want to know, Blondie? I'm an open book! But before I say anything, maybe you could tell your kitty here to lose the claws?"

Blake narrowed her eyes and her ears fell back against her head. "I'm not anyone's pet."

Yang picked Roman up by the collar. "Gee, Blakey, maybe we ought to wash out his mouth first."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Okay! I get it! Touchy subject! Put me down, will you? I'll talk!" Roman shouted.

Yang dropped him. "Go ahead, then. We're listening."

Blake returned the blade to his throat. "Make it quick."

If that blade wasn't against his throat, Roman decided he'd be throttling her. Now that the blade was moving closer, though, he'd just have to become helpful. "Look, Cinder was working with all kinds of people! You two are going to have to give me a little more direction than that!"

"Just the Faunus, then," Blake said.

Roman laughed. "Are you serious? You killed the only Faunus she allowed within fifty feet of her! Besides Adam, any other Faunus working for her probably folded her towels or did her dishes. But, what would I know? Good ol' Cinder kept me locked up in the castle." When he put it that way, he realized that he'd spent considerable amount of his life as a prisoner.

Yang looked at Blake and shrugged.

Roman sneezed. "Goddess… I think I'm allergic to cats." He glared at Blake. "Can't you go play with a ball of yarn outside somewhere?"

Blake frowned and kicked him unconscious.

"You sure know how to handle them," Yang noted with a smirk. "One prisoner down, one to go."

Conveniently, the royal guard reappeared in that moment. When she saw Roman on the floor, she didn't address it. Instead, she showed the way to the witch's rooms.

Mercury Black was chained to the walls in much the same fashion as Yang had been, though he was given adequate food and water, and his room was well lit. Aura was no longer illegal, so there would be no witch trial for him. He would be chained here for rest of his days.

"Hmph, what do you want?" His arrogance and mocking tone had been sharpened by spite. Resentment radiated from him. He looked like a caged animal watching for the perfect opportunity to make its bloody, vengeful escape.

"We want to know the names of the Faunus who worked for Cinder," Yang said.

"Do I look like a registry book to you?"

"You were Cinder's left hand," Blake pointed out.

"And now I'm just a prisoner. You're not learning anything."

After a while, it was clear he would reveal nothing no matter what Yang and Blake tried. In the end, they left the dungeon hardly more informed than when they entered it. The only new piece of information was that there weren't a whole lot of Faunus working for Cinder. Any Faunus working for her was probably a low-level servant. That narrowed their search in theory, but it gave them no real direction.

In the end, the only thing they gained was the irritating notion that this quest was going to take longer than they had hoped.

/-/-/-/

Jaune strummed his lute and leaned back against his chair with a sigh. The bard's guild's headquarters was sweet luxury. After the rebellion, he'd finally been allowed in. He could finally sit in the Arc's family room, look at his emblem on the wall, warm himself by the fire, and chat with his family like equals…

It wasn't fulfilling.

Deep down, Jaune knew that the only reason he was here—the only reason he had been let into the bard's guild—was because he was a friend of the king. He held a sword and a shield, he didn't sing his way in. His own talent hadn't gotten him anywhere. He was still only a mediocre lute player. He was still tone deaf. He couldn't stand it.

"Jaune! Are you ready to go home?" one of his younger sisters asked, all smiles. She was an expert drummer, songwriter, piccolo player, and was even emerging as a playwright.

Jaune felt the air pressure around him intensify. His shoulders buckled under it. "Yeah… just give me a second to pack up."

"Okay, I'll be downstairs with the other six." She disappeared to reunite with their other equally successful sisters.

Jaune sighed again. He felt like a failure. His mom told him he could be a soldier if he wanted. He didn't want to be one. Pyrrha had told him he didn't need to sing, he could just say the words, but it wasn't the same. Real bards were supposed to sing. Sliding the lute over his back, he walked down the stairs. A messenger stopped him on the way.

"You Jaune Arc?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Got a note for you. From Bartholomew Oobleck."

"Really?" Jaune took the note and opened it. Five words were hastily scrawled on it.

 _Rose's Runes tomorrow evening. Urgent._

Oobleck hadn't been seen for months, and this was the first thing he sent? Jaune wondered what the urgent message could be; knowing Oobleck, it would probably be related to his work, but the only way to know for sure was to meet up with him and the others tomorrow.

Jaune met his sisters in the lobby, and the group headed towards home, cutting through the kingdom roads until they turned to dirt. Their family owned a large house near the countryside—their parents always said nature offered better inspiration.

There was a fork in the road at the outskirts of the kingdom. If Jaune followed the path left, he would reach Oobleck's house. He turned right. Whatever the news was, he could wait another day to hear it. As he passed the fork, a figure caught his eyes.

Red eyes, mint green hair, dark cloak. She looked familiar. Enough for Jaune to do a double take. Emerald Sustrai…?

No, she was dead. It had been a long day. Jaune needed sleep.

He continued down the dirt path towards home. His sisters started a tune on the way and, despite his feelings of discontent, he pulled out his lute to strum along.

/-/-/-/

When Port received Oobleck's note, he was on his fifth drink. With his spirits boosted considerably, he asked for two more. Nora poured him the first while she tucked her own copy of the note into her pocket. Much to Sir Port's disappointment, she declined him the second drink. Not to be let down after hearing from Oobleck, he downed the last drink, splashed some money onto the counter, and wobbled out into the street.

Before the rebellion, he and Oobleck had become fast friends, discussing the past, politics, the Grimm, and pretty much anything else Port could dream up while intoxicated. When Oobleck had locked himself in the archives, Port felt a certain absence. Truth was, he was lonely. Everyone else always seemed to be busy... and though the company of ale was nice, there was nothing like a hearty brew of conversation. Since Oobleck had sent the note, however, he must have returned home with glorious new discoveries. Port couldn't wait to engage him on the subject.

Humming a tavern song as he sloshed about the streets, he found the dirt road to Oobleck's house and traveled along it without much hassle from the guards.

"You get home before you pass out in some ditch," one of them warned him.

Port laughed. "Worry not, guardsmen, for this is a happy night indeed!"

"Yeah, yeah," the guard said, and waved him off. "On your way, then."

As Port neared Oobleck's house, he tripped on a stone in the path and crashed up the steps. His head nearly collided with the door. After taking a moment to regain his bearings, he was about to stand when he heard glass shatter inside.

"Tell me!" a woman demanded.

"As long as you remain so narrow-minded, you will only see the impossible!" Oobleck returned. A moment later, he cried out in agony.

Finally registering imminent danger, Port staggered to his feet and bashed down the door with his battle axe ready. Oobleck lay on the ground, a gash marring his torso. There was no one else in sight. Port ran towards him. "Bartholomew!"

"Peter! Behind you!"

Port turned immediately to see a sight he thought impossible. Emerald Sustrai, Cinder's right hand, was standing in the doorway holding a bloody sickle. "You… apparition of my drunkenness… be gone!" he yelled.

"I can assure you she is of the material world," Oobleck said with a pained groan.

Port squinted and turned his gaze back to her, but she was gone. Suddenly sensing something behind him again, he wheeled around and narrowly blocked an otherwise fatal slash. However, his intoxicated state caused him to lose his balance. He fell into the desk. A candle dropped.

Fire easily caught on to scattered papers.

Emerald took one look at the flames, gathered as many books and papers as she could, and fled. Port slung an unsteady arm around Oobleck for support. As he stood, a nearby flame singed him. He activated his aura to shield himself, swearing to drink responsibly for the rest of his life.

The flames ate the house's wooden frame, and quickly ascended to the ceiling. A fiery beam weakened and dropped onto them. Oobleck's aura, already strained from healing his wound, was instantly negated. "You must escape on your own!" he shouted above the blaze.

"Nonsense! We're both leaving here alive," Port asserted. He shoved aside the beam, his fire aura invigorated.

"Peter, listen to me! I have Dust barrels stored in my closet. They're highly reactive. Once the fire reaches them, it's over, and it will reach them shortly. You have to make it out of here, do you understand?"

Port furrowed his brow and assessed the situation. Even though his mind was still swimming, he knew the chances of them surviving a run through the flames and to the window were near nil. Port needed help and he needed to hurry. If he could get someone to carry Oobleck—someone steady on their legs—he'd have a much better shot. Resolve built within him. Port vowed to get help quickly, and ran for the windo—

A Dust explosion consumed the estate.

~~AAAND END!~~

I'd express my appreciation for everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed so far. Shout out to: Cloy552, orca3553, Mpopl2, DefyDestiny021, Athkore, Aqua X, TabathaEvans, LastOrder, Lord Kipper, SerketLily, and Yin Ombre!

NEXT: Broken Dreams


	3. Broken Dreams

~~AAAND START!~~ (Broken Dreams)

Emerald growled and slammed the book shut. The cloud of dust that arose from it made her cough, and she glowered at it. What materials she'd managed to take from Oobleck's house had shown her nothing. Emerald already knew that Grimm were drawn to darkness and despair, and she already knew Remnant's history. What she needed was a plan of action.

When she'd heard stories of Cinder's Draco, she knew it was no ordinary Grimm. It had refused to die even in small pieces, and it had arisen from the darkest pits of determination and defiance… This wasn't just a Draco, this was the Archdemon. The Moonslayer.

Long ago—before the first human had taken their first, corrosive breath—there was Harmony. Harmony meant aura, coexistence. The Grimm kept the Harmony and were drawn to despair in order to destroy it, keeping the peace of the world. Nothing was allowed to grow in excess… until humanity arose.

The humans and their Goddess brought Dust to Remnant in order to counter the Grimm, and initiated a time of Balance. And, in the name of balancing out Dust, the Archdemon was born. Though it was defeated long ago, the Archdemon's presence is absolute. It continues to resurrect in the strongest of souls. If it were to claim its throne once more, humanity's fragile balance would surely wither away.

Neptune and his rebels had killed the Archdemon in its infancy, but it had inherited Cinder's aura and values. She was linked with it, meaning she wasn't gone. All Emerald needed to do was summon the Archdemon. Cinder's will would take over from there.

She either needed to rip the Archdemon from the Void, where all Grimm were created, or find a soul to call it to Remnant. The latter was far more plausible, but how would she know who was capable of housing the Archdemon? How would she ensure the transformation happened? And even then, how could Emerald make sure the Archdemon's newest host wouldn't drown out Cinder with their presence?

The books offered her no information on this. What new conclusions Oobleck had drawn from such basic materials was unfathomable. Emerald could only say that she had saved the wrong items from the fire.

She threw down the old book with disgust and frustration—she didn't have forever. It was unlikely that Cinder's soul would stay bound to the Archdemon for long. In time, the vestiges of her being would fade.

Emerald didn't know how much time she had left, but if she was to succeed, she needed to hurry.

/-/-/-/

Jaune walked with Pyrrha in shocked silence. Oobleck and Port were dead. Sure, everyone had been worried when they never arrived at the meeting, but no one would have expected their deaths.

Really, no one knew what had happened. The lethal explosion was so intense that there was nothing to recover and almost no evidence to observe. Suspicions were abundant, but no speculation could be proven.

It felt wrong to settle for a monument in Port and Oobleck's honor as a means of saying goodbye. However, it was an ancient truth that no funeral could be held without a body, and no memory of an idea could be published as a manuscript. Port, Oobleck, and Oobleck's work were gone forever.

When they left Rose's Runes that evening, Jaune couldn't help but feel like the city was more abrasive than usual. Merchants on the street called out to him. Their voices grated on his ears. He didn't understand a word they said. All he could think about was that green-haired woman at the fork in the road.

He should have listened to himself. He could have saved them! Instead, he wrote his intuition off.

Jaune clenched his fist. Just this once, he needed to do something right. It was time he stopped being the beloved failure, the tag along. All his moping around had gotten Port and Oobleck killed. They didn't deserve any of it! He would find Emerald, and he'd make her pay.

"Pyrrha, what are you doing tonight?" Jaune asked, breaking the heavy silence.

"Oh," Pyrrha jolted. "I have work to do at the barracks." She paused and furrowed her brow, sensing something in his tone. "Why?"

"It's nothing, I just… Make sure you get some rest, okay?"

"Jaune, are you alright? You seem like you're on edge."

"I'm fine. There's just… a lot on my mind. Don't worry about it."

Pyrrha pursed her lips for a second. "Sir Port and Oobleck's deaths are hard on all of us. If you need to discuss—"

"Pyrrha, I don't need your help! I don't need you holding my hand anymore! I'm tired of being treated like some worthless kid!" Jaune snapped. His gaze darkened. "This is something I can get through on my own."

Pyrrha stared at him for a moment in shock, then shook her head briefly to clear it. "Jaune, I didn't mean to be overbearing. If that's how you feel…"

"Trust me. It is."

By now, they had reached the turn for the barracks.

After some time, Pyrrha nodded, her face a mask. "Then, you be sure to rest as well... I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," Jaune answered curtly. He picked up his pace, and once he was certain Pyrrha couldn't see him anymore, he headed towards the castle. He needed to know where Emerald was hiding. Roman and Mercury would know, he just needed to convince them to tell him.

When he reached the dungeon, Jaune presented his credentials and requested a royal guard take him down to their cells. They went to Roman's first.

"Oh, look. Another one," Roman sneered exasperatedly. "What do you want?"

"Leave us alone," Jaune told guard.

She nodded and handed him the keys. "Ten minutes."

"Make it fifteen," Jaune said. He could feel anger bubbling up within him at the sight of Roman's jeering face.

"Ten." The royal guard left.

Shrugging it off, Jaune burst into the cell and grabbed Roman's collar. "Where is she? Where's Emerald?"

"Why, what a stupid question! She's in Traitor's Hollow!"

"Then explain why I saw her yesterday outside the city!"

"Now, this is just a guess," Roman pondered, "but, were you drunk?"

Jaune growled in frustration and pulled him closer. "I need to know!"

"Look, kid, I don't know how many times I have to tell you this, but I don't know anything about anything! I was forced to serve the queen, it wasn't on my bucket list! Now, let go of me!" He shoved Jaune away.

Jaune lost his footing on the slippery stones near the waterfall and fell backwards. The seawater hit his shoulder, and he was taken down with the unexpected force. It yanked him over the edge of the cell. He dangled there from his hands, struggling to pull himself up, coughing as the salt water entered his lungs.

Roman was surprised—it hadn't occurred to him that someone could just fall into the water on accident. He laughed at the obviousness and the reality of it, noting Jaune's wide, fearful eyes and shaking muscles. He also saw that the keys to the cell had dropped in their exchange, and were laying a few stones away. Finally, it occurred to him that he should help Jaune get back up.

But, the keys were right there.

Roman picked them up and walked over to Jaune. "Well, kid, I'd help you up, but you know, I'm an opportunist." With that, he stomped on Jaune's fingers until they loosened their grip, and watched him disappear with mild satisfaction.

There were still a few minutes left of private visitation time. Roman used them to escape.

/-/-/-/

Mercury tested his chains twice a day. A guard would come in, unlock a single wrist, and give him food and water. After the chain was redone and the guard left, Mercury would test the link. The day a single mistake was made was the day he would escape.

The door opened and a fully armored guard entered. As soon as it closed, he took off his helmet.

"Mercury!" It was Roman. "How's the breakup been treating you?"

Mercury scoffed.

"Oh, not well, I see. Well, then, aren't you lucky." Roman twirled a ring of keys. "Don't you want to know why I'm here?"

Mercury didn't respond.  
"Why doesn't anyone ask the real important questions anymore?" Roman muttered. "I'm here to strike a deal with you. You see, as much as I'd like to be sailing on a ship to Vacuo at the moment, I can't. The guards know I'm gone, and security is tight. So, you're going to help me get onto the first boat out of here. In exchange, I'll set you free and, hey, I'll even play nice and give you an intriguing bit of information. What do you say? I think it's the least you can do for me."

"You going to talk all day or unlock me?"

"Good boy! I knew you'd be useful one day. There's another suit of armor for you outside." Roman unlocked Mercury's chains. They left the dungeon in full disguise. Having been privy to information on how the guard works, it was easy for both of them to slink past the holes in their system and escape unscathed.

The pier was a welcome sight. A vast, open expanse that was the epitome of freedom. Vessels glided across waves and faded into the horizon… It was hard to fathom that they were going to another country, not another world.

Roman and Mercury stole a shipping crate, lined it with straw, piled in food, water, empty bottles, and stolen valuables, then punctured breathing holes in the sides. Roman stepped inside looking happier than he had in ages. It was so good to know that Cinder was dead and he was free. Once he built himself a nice living in Vacuo, he would buy the finest cigars and own a nice Dust mine with the best underpaid Faunus laborers money could buy.

"One more thing before I go," Roman sighed contently. "The information I promised." He leaned in and grinned. "They're looking for Emerald."

Mercury smirked, amused. For a wingless bird, she was good at dodging arrows.

"If you want my advice," Roman said, "don't get back with your ex. It never works out." With that, he patted Mercury on the shoulder. "I never liked you. Now, seal me up. They're almost done loading."

Mercury shook his head and placed the lid on the box. "I never liked you, either. Have a good trip."

With that, he shoved the box into the ocean.

/-/-/-/

Neptune sat uncomfortably on his throne. A guard had just told him that Jaune was missing, and that Mercury and Roman had escaped prison. Of course, almost every guard suspected Jaune of helping Roman escape, which put Neptune in a disadvantageous spot. Two of his friends had been suspected of egregious crimes in the last few days, and that did not paint him in a favorable light. He was forced to allow Intelligence to handle this case, but he couldn't let that be the end of it.

In order to balance out Intelligence and the guard's bias, he'd called Pyrrha, Weiss, Yang, and Blake to the throne room. Since Weiss and Pyrrha were in the armed forces, it was easier to get Intelligence to agree to the extra set of eyes on the case. However, the action didn't come without a curse. Neptune was subsequently buried in more paperwork.

"Your Majesty, the people you've requested are here," a guard informed.

Neptune nodded. "Good. Send them in, please."

"At once."

Yang, Pyrrha, Blake, and Weiss entered the throne room. They bowed, looking worried. Pyrrha especially.

"Rise," Neptune said. "No need for formality. Unfortunately, I have some bad news."

Pyrrha held her breath.

"Roman and Mercury escaped from prison last night."

"What?" Weiss started. "How?"

"We're not sure about the details, but I'll tell you what we know."

"Who's we?" Yang inquired.

"Intelligence is already on the case," Neptune explained. "You'll see why in a bit." He exhaled slowly. "Jaune went to visit Roman last night. He hasn't been seen since."

Pyrrha gasped.

Yang and Blake's faces darkened.

Weiss raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Also, two guards were assaulted, and their armor was stolen. Intelligence thinks Jaune helped Roman and Mercury escape. That's why I want you guys looking after this thing, too."

"He must have been taken hostage," Pyrrha concluded. "We need to find him quickly."

"Have there been any requests for a ransom?" Weiss asked.

"No, not yet," Neptune answered.

Yang and Blake glanced at each other, then nodded. "Uh, guys?" Yang said. "I think there's something we should tell you. It's about that murder in Traitor's Hollow."

Weiss turned to her. "What about it?" She'd heard about it at the office, and thought it was suspicious, but it hadn't come up more than one or two times, so she figured it had already been solved.

"We have reason to believe it was connected to Cinder," Blake finished.

"The guard, Oobleck, and Sir Port were murdered within an extremely short period of time… and now this. They must be connected," Pyrrha said.

"That much is for certain," Weiss agreed.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Neptune let slip. Then, remembering he was on the throne, he cleared his throat. "No doubt, this requires special attention. I want you ladies to figure all this out as quickly as possible before Jaune gets hurt."

Pyrrha nodded and bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."

The others replicated her, and Neptune dismissed them.

/-/-/-/

Pyrrha exhaled as she walked down the dungeon hallway. They were going to investigate the scene of the crime. She couldn't get there fast enough, but she also felt like her feet were made of lead.

Yang drew her from her thoughts. "What's the matter, Pyrrha?"

"Jaune was agitated last night after we left Rose's Runes. He asked if I was free last night before he came here... I can't help but think that if I went with him, none of this would have happened."

"You can't blame yourself for that," Weiss dismissed. "He should have known not to go alone."

"He acted rashly after hearing about Sir Port and Oobleck," Blake agreed. "You shouldn't take responsibility for his reckless actions."

Pyrrha shook her head. "I'm aware of that, but I have a bad feeling about this."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Weiss assured her. By now, they had reached Roman's cell. There were splotches of blood, dents, or scratches in the wall or floor.

"Jaune must have been taken by surprise," Blake thought aloud.

"When we rescue him, he'll never hear the end of this," Yang said without humor. Concern was giving in to exasperation. "Let's check Mercury's room."

Unfortunately, there was no real evidence there, either.

Weiss turned her attention to the sea water grate. "Is the water working?"

"If you'd like to check the grate's functionality, I'd be happy to activate it," their escort said. It was a different royal guard than the one who'd helped Yang and Blake in the past—she'd lost her rank, and her post was changed to the pig farms after allowing Roman and Mercury to escape under her watch.

"That would be nice, thank you," Weiss nodded.

The royal guard saluted and walked outside. "Stand back!" he called. A moment later, he opened the sea grate and a huge gush of water came pouring out.

Yang cringed, watching with a wary eye.

After a few seconds, Blake's Faunus ears twitched. "Turn it off!" she ordered.

"What?" the guard shouted.

"She said to turn it off!" Yang yelled back.

"Oh! Roger that!" He stopped the flow of water.

A mangled corpse covered part of the sewer grate. Time froze.

Pyrrha choked out a whimper. It died in her throat. Her semblance roared to life in its stead. The metal chains in the room distorted and compressed, then re-expanded and withered again.

The erratic pulse set by the clinking chains called the guard back into the room. "Is something wrong?" he asked. His shield ripped itself apart. He took one look at the scene and ran outside to vomit.

In the center of the room, Jaune's bloated body reanimated, brought to life by the metal it wore. It was like a broken puppet surrounded by wounded, metallic animals. It looked as though it could be standing, though its twisted legs were caught in the sewer grate.

"Pyrrha!" Yang shouted. "Stop!" She ran over to her and shook her, but Pyrrha wouldn't break from her trance. "Pyrrha!"

"She's in shock," Blake said. "She can't control her aura. It's mirroring her emotions."

Weiss opened her mouth to say something, but the scene was too much. She couldn't form a single word.

Yang grit her teeth. If this continued, Pyrrha could seriously hurt herself. She tried to slap her out of it. "You need to listen to me!"

Pyrrha finally met her gaze. Tears slid from her eyes as she did so, and her semblance pulled Ember Celica over Yang's hands. By now, her nose had begun to bleed from overexertion. "Yang… it's… I…" Her own armor started to cave in.

"Pyrrha, no!"

Blake took an urgent step forwards. "Yang, you have to knock her unconscious!"

Yang threw a punch, but it did nothing. With no other options, she put a hand to Pyrrha's forehead.

 _ **Ignite.**_

Pyrrha's aura abruptly deactivated, and she slumped into Yang's arms. The spell had been broken. She began to weep. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! This is all my fault!"

Yang pulled her closer. "It's okay. Just cry, Pyrrha."

"Jaune…"

Behind them, his corpse continued to decay.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

AN: …

NEXT: A Funeral and a Reunion


	4. A Funeral and a Reunion

~~AAAND START!~~ (A Funeral and a Reunion)

Nora recognized that the sun was up, but she didn't feel like getting out of bed. She hadn't felt like it yesterday, either. Everything seemed so trivial. Once in a while, a spark of inspiration would hit, and she'd get up to use the restroom. When she was there, she'd stare at her reflection in the mirror and marvel at the bags under her eyes. Sometimes, she'd run through the story in her head. Tangled in a sewage grate. Sometimes, she'd cry. Then, she'd muster up the energy to return to bed.

That was where she was now—she stared blankly at her sheets until Ren knocked softly at the door. He had his own way of dealing with things, but Nora suspected a large portion of it was denial or forced preoccupation. How else could he have processed it? Tangled in a sewer grate!

Ren had brought her pancakes in bed. She smiled weakly at him, but couldn't bring herself to take a bite.

"Nora, it's been a few days… I'm starting to worry about you," he said. "The customers are asking questions."

"Don't worry, Renny…. I'll be okay. It's just that now… I'm really not."

Ren sat on the edge of her bed. "It's not the same without him."

"Yeah."

He sighed. "But… it's also not the same without you. Will you come to work? Please?"

"I don't think I can."

They sat in silence for a while.

"The bard's guild is writing a song about him. They'll perform it during the funeral," Ren said.

"Tomorrow."

Ren nodded. He put a hand on her upper arm. "Someone needs to handle the brews. I was hoping you could help with that. You know I don't know a thing about alcohol."

Nora laughed and shook her head. "Oh, Renny, you're so sweet." She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Don't worry about me. I'll be downstairs after breakfast."

Ren smiled. "I'll be waiting for you." He got up to leave, and before he closed her bedroom door, he added, "Let me know if you like the syrup. Yang and Blake helped make it."

/-/-/-/

Fifteen pounds of premium fire Dust, five pounds of premium wind Dust, and two pounds of low-grade ice Dust to keep the food cold. Weiss ran through the calculations one more time, and checked off the contents of the crate. She closed the box, sealed it, and marked it for delivery. Then, she sighed as she put the purity certificates, the order request, and the billing and shipping information into her filing cabinet.

Jaune's family had contacted her earlier to request Dust for the funeral. Of course, she readily accepted and put the bill on her own tab. It was the least she could do. Ruby had also been contacted, and was crafting runes in her own workshop. Weiss wondered what Ruby would occupy herself with when she finished. She hadn't slept much in the last few days, and all that constant work meant she was almost done with the runes.

Weiss wasn't really close with Jaune, though he seemed to bug her at all times of day no matter how clearly she expressed her annoyance at his romantic gestures. She just wasn't interested in him. There was nothing else to say on the matter… however, that didn't mean she didn't feel a sense of loss at his untimely passing. He enjoyed helping people, and he worked hard… not to mention the fact that he was a good lute player. Weiss half expected him to come bumbling into her office to offer her food or flowers as he so often did. There was no chance of that happening, though. She'd seen the body.

Weiss shook her head to clear the image.

They hadn't even had time to adequately mourn Port and Oobleck, and now Jaune was dead, too. Why now and not on the battlefield, where it was expected to happen? He should have known better… but that didn't matter anymore. He was already gone.

Exhaling quietly, she left her office and entered her store, which adjoined Rose's Runes. There was no wall between them, so she could see that Ruby had left her workshop door open. Weiss looked outside to gauge the time, then left the store to buy lunch.

Upon her return, she entered Ruby's workshop, knocking on the door after she'd stepped inside.

"One sec, I'll get the door," Ruby half-muttered, half-shouted as she finished a rune.

"It was open," Weiss replied.

"Huh? Oh, hey, Weiss. Sorry, I must have forgotten to close it."

Weiss shrugged. She couldn't care less about the door.

"So, um… Did another order come in?"

"No." Weiss extended one of the sacks she'd bought. "I'm here because you, Ruby Rose, need to eat."

"Uh, to survive, I eventually will, yeah, but I'm not that hungry right now. Thanks anyway, though, Weiss."

"I'm not asking you to eat it, I'm telling you to eat it. You haven't stopped working in three days! Set down your tools and take a break before you pass out onto Burning metal!"

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Ruby exclaimed, then added quietly, "it only happened once, and that was a long time ago."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I don't know how you've managed to survive for so long."

"Well, we all die eventually," Ruby said bluntly. The mood instantly darkened.

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "Don't make this about Jaune."

"What do you want me to do, Weiss? Forget him?"

Feeling a migraine coming on, Weiss set the sack on Ruby's workbench. "I would never want that. I'm only asking you to take care of yourself." She glared at Ruby. "As such, if this isn't eaten in the next three hours, I will force it down your throat. Got it?"

Ruby sighed. "Fine."

Weiss nodded. "Good." She turned towards the door. "Please try not to work yourself too hard."

"I know."

With that, Weiss left the room and returned to her office to complete a few more orders before her next business meeting.

/-/-/-/

White flowers, white cake, white wine, white meat, white fruit, white decor, white, white… and the bard's guild dressed in white. Blake was sure there was enough white at the funeral to cap a mountain. All the sunlight it reflected hurt her eyes.

Jaune's family had opted for a private gathering, and save the royal guards around King Neptune, Blake had seen everyone at the funeral at least once before. Despite the religious atmosphere, she felt comfortable at the celebration. Whereas nobles' funerals were somber events in Vale, a commoner's funeral was considered a failure if there was a hint of sadness. More liquor was ordered on the spot if it ever came to that.

Blake had to say Nora's brews did him justice. Simple and straightforward, yet with a surprising amount of flavor and a pleasant aftertaste.

As if to ruin that aftertaste, Cardin Winchester made his way to the bard stage and cleared his throat. The crowd quieted down. "Alright, guys, I hope you're enjoying the funeral so far."

Blake frowned. He was definitely out of place.

"I've been hearing stories about Jauney-boy all day, and I have to say he was a pretty entertaining guy. This next piece is just for him." Cardin strummed his lute and began:

 _In a mansion off the edge of Vale_

 _A boy born to seven sisters wailed_

 _It was a colder morning than the almanacs guessed_

 _And that made sense, for this boy with yellow hair_

 _Would grow like a plant under frost_

 _Until he submitted to impulse, his life the cost._

Jaune's family grimaced, but they tolerated the verse, though it was elementary to them considering their skill levels. Not to mention the hint of an insulting nature. Whom the bard's guild chose to honor their fallen wasn't always a popular choice, but this time, Blake could sense politics behind it. She could imagine the leader of the guild jeering, "Here's to the privileged witch-bard!"

Cardin continued playing. It seemed that all would be well until around the third verse, when he sang:

 _Off on his own, it became clear_

 _He had no talents, save for his cheer_

Yang's mug broke in her hand. She glared at Cardin.

Pyrrha stopped staring at her mug of hard cider. She had been sitting alone near the edge of the crowd, and when she directed her furious gaze at Cardin, Blake sincerely hoped Yang exploded before she did.

Unfortunately, the song didn't stop there.

 _And he had relied on his parents and sisters_

 _For much of his poor, short life_

 _Until magic—_

Yang stalked over to Cardin, lifting him up by the shirt collar. "What is your problem?" she seethed.

Pyrrha set down her mug and stood to watch.

"Hey, put me down!" Cardin ordered.

"You shouldn't even be here!" Yang shouted, throwing him off the stage.

"She's drunk!" one of Jaune's sisters whispered.

Yang was actually only a few sips into her first mug. She didn't need any encouragement to retaliate when insulted. Blake smirked, approving of her executive decision to save the dignity of both Jaune and his funeral. Yang had also saved Cardin's life. Who knows what would have happened if Pyrrha reached him first.

"I was chosen to write his song! I have more right to be here than you, you freak!" Cardin roared.

"Say that again!" Yang bellowed.

"You witch! Let go of me or it'll be your funeral next!"

Yang jumped down from the stage and punched him in the mouth. The powerful blow knocked a few teeth out. Yang then backhanded him on the left cheek. He struggled, but she held him down and gave him a black eye.

By now, everyone was on their feet.

Pyrrha looked away, and sat back down.

"What are you doing, girl? Don't you know this is a celebration? Stop!" The royal guards tried to break up the fight, but the crowd pushed them away.

Jaune's sisters glanced at each other with a mischievous glint in their eye, then took up their instruments and began a lively improv session.

 _Someone cut the cable_

 _It's time to Fight! Fight! Fight!_

 _My money's on Blazing Blondie!_

Cardin had finally gotten out of her grasp. The two bristled at each other while the funeral goers formed a ring around them. The crowd started chanting "Fight! Fight! Fight!" with the bards.

"You're going to pay for that," Cardin threatened.

"Shut up and block!" Yang returned. She punched him in the nose so hard he fell. He hit the ground hard and groaned, holding his bloody nose with both hands. Yang grinned devilishly. "That was for Jaune!"

"For Jaune!" the crowd repeated gleefully.

Before things could get out of hand, Neptune's royal guards finally managed to break up the fight. "Really? Assault in front of the royal guards?" one of them asked Yang as they handcuffed her to a chair.

"He insulted Jaune at his funeral!" Yang rebutted.

"Do you solve everything with you fists?"

"No, but I'd like to," she grinned.

The crowd cheered and chanted "For Jaune!" one more time.

"Come on, I'm taking you into custody," the guard insisted. "After this, it's 500 Lien and a day in jail."

"Bring it on!" she roared, and the crowd roared back.

After that, the festivities continued. People took turns getting on stage to share stories about Jaune. Others danced, ate cake, or knocked back ale as if it were water.

In contrast, Pyrrha dumped out her mug of ale as if it were poison. She opted for actual water instead, and managed an approving nod at Yang before she went over to make small talk with Jaune's family. At first, she could only look guilty. When they hugged her and asked her to tell them stories, however, she began to lighten up… if only for a moment.

Deciding Pyrrha would be okay, Blake strolled over to Yang with a plate of white berries and some cake. "Nice hook," she said, taking a seat next to her.

"Aw, thanks, Blakey! You know, just doin' my thing," Yang smiled smugly. "Jaune deserved better than that guy."

"I fully agree."

"You know, he actually looked up to Cardin when they first met." Yang laughed. "That didn't last long."

Blake grinned and shook her head. "With the way Cardin acts, I'm not surprised." She didn't know the full story between the two rival bards, but she'd heard that Cardin was never pleasant to Jaune and frequently took credit for his work. How ironic that he was chosen to sing a song of praise.

"He didn't seem very smart," Weiss remarked, coming to join them.

"Yeah… I guess you could say he's tome deaf," Yang joked.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Anyways, I can't believe you would attack someone at a funeral. Do you have no sense of occasion? You're going to jail after this!"

"What was I supposed to do, sit there and take it?" Yang demanded. "Cardin needed to shut up."

"You didn't have to use violence to make that happen."

"You're right, I didn't… But, it's a lot better this way," Yang laughed.

"Yang, you—"

"Oh, hey, Ruby and Sun are getting up to share!" Yang exclaimed, changing the subject.

Weiss rolled her eyes.

/-/-/-/

Emerald watched the funeral through a naval telescope she'd stolen on the pier a few weeks ago. She'd rolled her eyes when Yang took down Cardin. Emerald had been nauseous throughout the entire event. Perhaps it was the overall atmosphere of the funeral. Happy and lighthearted, nostalgic and determined to honor. What a joke.

Emerald didn't want to be there, but she had no choice. These people were her only leads for any new discovery about the Grimm and aura. Oobleck was proof enough that they were all looking into the same subjects. She needed to know why and what they'd found so far.

Emerald scowled when Ruby and Sun came onstage. Out of all the rebels, she hated Sun the most—he was directly responsible for killing Cinder, and the Archdemon's remains had healed him.

She thought she saw them mouth words like "turkey charming," "prize," and "lute," but she didn't get a good grasp on the story. She was about to look away when Sun stretched out his arms to show something's size. As he did so, Emerald found an unusual black speck in the center of his half-breed mark. Squinting her eyes, she focused in on it.

She was focusing so intently, she didn't hear Mercury come up behind her.

"I knew I'd find you here," he said.

Startled, Emerald jumped up and held a sickle to his throat.

"Happy to see you, too," he joked.

"Mercury!" she hissed. She lowered her weapon and furrowed her brow. "Did you have anything to do with this?"

"Come on, Emerald, do you have that little faith in me?"

Emerald frowned, though she was somewhat relieved. "I don't have any faith in you."

"Ouch… Even after I spent so long tracking you down? Where's my 'Oh, Mercury, I missed you so much! I thought I'd never—'"

Emerald started to walk away. There's no way she was going to learn anything with him around.

"'—see you again…'" Mercury finished. "Still no fun, I see," he sighed cynically.

They moved out of the shrubbery near the funeral grounds and made it back to an old warehouse, dusty from years of neglect. They'd all lived here before Cinder married into the royal family. To Emerald, that was lifetimes ago.

It was on the outskirts of region six, so chances of patrols inspecting the area were low. It was the perfect place for fugitives.

They sat at a large table in the center of the empty warehouse.

"Why are you here?" Emerald shot.

"Oh, please. You're happy to see me," Mercury said.

"I was a lot happier when you were in the dungeon."

Mercury shrugged. "Roman showed me the way out."

Emerald raised an eyebrow. "Roman? Really?" she asked incredulously.

"I know. He can be so useful. He's even feeding the fish for me."

"You're terrible."

"You've always liked the terrible ones," Mercury smiled.

Emerald frowned.

"What are you doing now, anyway?"

"That's none of your business."

"Might as well tell me. Who knows? Maybe I'll even help you out… If it's worth it."

"I don't—"

"—need my help?"

Emerald growled. "Mercury, get out of here. I will literally pay you to leave."

"I'm not exactly pressed for cash right now," he shrugged. "You'd be surprised how much people pay for an assassin these days." Emerald sighed heavily, and Mercury leaned in on his elbows with a smirk, studying her. "Let me guess… you're still not over Cinder?" He laughed at her scowl. "Guess I was right. Eh, I think it's a good thing she's gone."

Emerald stood abruptly and took a book from the table. "I'm done here." She turned and walked to the dark edges of the warehouse. With her night vision, she was able to read, but she couldn't focus with Mercury in the room. Eventually, she dozed off whilst frustrated.

She woke up to sunlight streaming in through the windows near the ceiling. Mercury was asleep on the other side of the warehouse. Despite him, she decided to continue her research with her limited resources. The only thing that seemed relevant in light of her discovery at the funeral was _A Study of Were-Grimm,_ which was published by the army six generations ago. She ripped the pages from their binding, and laid them all out on the giant table, going through each one until she had found enough information to begin a diagram. Emerald then sorted the pages by subject, and tacked them to the wall.

To the best of her knowledge, there was no evidence of a Dust half-breed turning into a Grimm or visa versa. Still, it was impossible for any worldly pigmentation to show over a Dust mark. It had to be a Grimm mark… But, it was also supposedly impossible for both to exist at the same time.

Unless… Sun was the Archdemon's new host. Only a Grimm that powerful could set precedent.

 _A Study of Were-Grimm_ also said that subjects under extreme distress seemed to turn faster than subjects observed under "normal" circumstances. She'd seen Sun's mark at a funeral, so perhaps grief caused the new mark to appear.

Emerald picked up a religious history book and leafed through it. She stopped on a page about the Archdemon. It read:

 _The Archdemon is as water goes_

 _And seeks the lowest path_

 _Those most soiled by sin_

 _Will harbor it within._

Without the religious context, it meant that the Archdemon transfers to the worthiest vessel available. Could that have been Sun? It wasn't likely. After all, he was turning into Dust.

But, his Dust had killed Cinder. The Archdemon could have reacted to that, and taken to something familiar instead of returning to the Void. Perhaps the familiarity was a form of magnetism that had brought the two together.

Emerald decided she needed to observe Sun for a while longer before making any more conclusions. She tore out the page from the book, pinned it to the wall, and turned to leave. By now, Mercury had woken up. He squinted at the pages over her shoulder.

Emerald watched him, hoping he wouldn't start another conversation.

To her relief, Mercury yawned and scratched behind his ear. "I hate reading," he mumbled, then left the warehouse.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Scarf Signals


	5. Scarf Signals

~~AAAND START!~~ (Scarf Signals)

Pyrrha checked over the new shield and spot cleaned it one more time before slipping it into a protective sleeve. She'd heard that she'd lost control when they found Jaune, but she couldn't remember it. The only things she could recall were the door to the witch's chamber opening, the guard leaving to turn on the water, and Blake's ears twitching in recognition. Everything else was blank. It was almost like nothing had ever happened, save for the emptiness she felt now.

Pyrrha couldn't help but feel restless. It was like she was lost. Too much was missing, and try as she might, she'd likely never get it back.

Jaune was gone. The person she knew the longest and cared about the most had suddenly vanished from the face of Remnant. Forever. If she had asked him even one more question about what was on his mind that night, things would have been different. Instead, when he needed her protection the most, she just… let him go. And because she let him go, she felt at fault for his demise.

Pyrrha had been trying to cope in what little ways she could. She collected every lead on his case, and investigated them when she had time. She also bought a top-notch shield to replace the royal guard's broken one. But, nothing she did seemed good enough to mend her emotional malaise. Her actions did, however, distract her… She figured that would have to be good enough.

Taking a deep breath, Pyrrha opened the door to her quarters, and headed out of the army's compound, hoping that delivering the shield would allow her some solace… but she knew it wouldn't.

/-/-/-/

Raven sensed the change in the Void as soon as she entered it. The Grimm were getting restless again, which meant the Archdemon was attempting to rile its strength. She needed to rip its roots from the dirt before that weed could grow another stem. Thing was, if she killed Sun, it would simply return to the Void until another worthy vessel surfaced. She needed a more permanent solution. At least Sun's Grimm mark didn't seem to be spreading… but he would die eventually. All mortals do.

There was, of course, the matter of Yang and Ruby. The two were promising, especially considering Ruby's skill in rune crafting. Raven had also heard stories of Yang's semblance, and if they were true, then Yang was her daughter after all. Still, with red eyes that only appeared when she was in a rage, Raven wondered how useful Yang would be to the clan.

Branwens were made to kill and control Grimm, not harass them when it was convenient... However, Raven also had a certain amount of confidence in Yang, which is why her blade hadn't ended the half-breed adventurer as of yet. She decided to try and unlock Yang's abilities, and, if the opportunity presented itself, raise her the way a young Branwen should be raised. Progress was up to Yang in the end, but Raven would be the catalyst.

She tore a piece of fabric from Yang's yellow scarf, and folded a note around it. Then, she opened a portal.

The first time she'd ever seen this scarf, it had been a gift from Yang's father. And nine months later, Raven swaddled Yang in it before leaving them both on his doorstep. She had no use for the cloth then, but now…

She had another, far more critical delivery to make.

/-/-/-/

Jail was fun at first; however, when Yang started an arm-wrestling competition with a dock worker, a crooked guard, and an accountant who ran an underground crime ring, things got so heated that she was moved to solitary confinement. That didn't stop her fun for the first few hours, during which she and the other prisoners threw insults at each other, but then the jailer moved Yang to soundproof solitary confinement, and that was the end of that.

She had just woken up from a nap. Sleep seemed the only productive thing to do in soundproof solitary confinement. With no way of knowing how long she had until Blake showed up, Yang grunted and rolled over, trying to become tired again. It wasn't working. She tossed and turned a bit, but that only woke her up even more. Letting out a heaving sigh, she tried flipping over again.

"You look busy. Should I come back later?" Blake joked from the doorway.

Yang's eyes shot open. "Blake! When did you get—whoa?" She lost her balance mid-flip and fell off the bench. The drop knocked the wind out of her, but when Blake started laughing, she managed a grin back.

"Graceful," Blake quipped between laughs.

"Thanks, I've been practicing," Yang winced. When she finally caught her breath, she stood up and went to pull Blake into a hug. "It's good to see you again, Blake."

Blake smirked. "Miss me?"

"You know it," Yang winked.

Blake looked rather smug at that. "Jaune's family paid the fine for us," she said. "They send their thanks for punching Cardin."

"Really? That was so nice of them!" Yang exclaimed. She glanced around, and when she was certain no guards were looking, she pulled a pouch of Lien from her pocket. "You know, I made seven-hundred Lien in there," she whispered slyly.

Blake raised her eyebrows. "How?" Seven-hundred Lien was no small amount.

"Accountants."

"I'm… not surprised."

After signing the release forms, the two left the jailhouse and headed home. Yang couldn't wait to see Ruby again — she was almost gliding her way back. However, when she finally entered Rose's Runes, she was disappointed to find that both Ruby and Weiss were in a business meeting. Deciding instead to put on a fresh set of clothes, Yang went to her room.

When she walked inside, she gasped. "Uh… Blake?"

Blake appeared a second later with her sword drawn. "What's wrong?"

"I think someone's been in my room."

A giant "X" had been slashed into the wall, and a folded sheet of paper was tacked to the center of it.

"That much is obvious," Blake returned.

Yang looked at her and shrugged, then pulled the paper from the wall. A familiar piece of yellow cloth fell from the note, which read:

 _Beyond the desert_

 _A temple, gates cracked open_

 _Surrounded by spring…_

Yang picked up the piece of cloth and examined it. "Well, whoever sent this has my scarf, so… I guess 'X' marks the spot? What do you think of a little road trip, Blakey?"

"You're just going to follow it?"

"Why not? Who knows, maybe they're friendly."

"I doubt it."

"Only one way to find out…" Yang waggled her eyebrows.

Blake narrowed her eyes. "Or, we could not."

"Blake, they know where we live."

Realizing that Yang had made up her mind, Blake sighed and sheathed her sword. "For the record, I think this is a terrible idea." She turned to leave.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"To get reference books. There are a lot of desert temples."

Yang grinned and slung an arm around Blake. "You sure know how to take care of me."

"Let go of me."

"Aw, you like it."

"Yang," Blake warned.

"Okay, I get it." Yang let her go. "You know, I think this will be our biggest adventure yet."

Blake threw an unimpressed glance at the "X." "What makes you say that?" she asked sarcastically.

Yang laughed. "Mm… Just a feeling."

/-/-/-/

Region one, sector three had some of the most remarkable multi-level homes in Vale. Each one boasted a uniquely different style and had likely costed millions of Lien each. When Pyrrha had asked where the royal guard lived, she was told it was "The house with the dog." Usually, she would have asked for more clarification, but none was needed in sector three. There was a house with the giant bronze sculpture of a playing dog on the top level of a fountain. The entire thing was dwarfed by the five-story home accented with vertical columns, dark wood, and more bronze. Even for sector three, this home was ornate.

Pyrrha knocked on the quadruple doors and waited. A young butler came to the door.

"Greetings," he said. A stray lock fell from his slicked-back hair. "I don't believe we were expecting anyone today… may I take a message?"

"I was hoping to speak with the master of the house."

"I'm afraid he's out on guard duty."

"I see. Do you know when he will return?"

"I do, but I'm not willing to divulge that information. May I take a name?"

Pyrrha saluted. "Lieutenant Pyrrha Nikos."

"Oh! A Lieutenant! Pardon my ignorance," the butler apologized. "Would you like to come in for a warm beverage? The master lives alone, but if you don't mind the lack of company, you may wait until he returns."

Pyrrha shook her head. "Thank you, but I should be going soon. I came here to deliver a replacement for his shield. It's an exact replica, but I had it reinforced. Please present my sincere apologies along with it." She handed over the shield.

"Yes, Lieutenant, I'll be sure to pass everything on exactly as you have relayed it. I'm certain the master will be pleased."

"Thank you," Pyrrha smiled.

"Mhmm. Have a good day, Lieutenant. Take care on your way home."

"Farewell."

As soon as the door closed, Pyrrha began the walk back to her own region. It felt good to deliver the shield, though she was glad it was over. Sighing, she turned her gaze to the sky. A little black speck caught her eye. As the shape neared, she made it out to be a Griffin. Usually, the guard's archers would have taken it down by now. Something must have been amiss at the outskirts of the city.

"Grimm!" she yelled.

Citizens instantly ran for their homes. Meanwhile, the Griffin folded in its wings and dove into the street. Pyrrha drew her sword and readied her shield. The demon charged her a moment later. She rolled out of the way, quickly swiping its flank. She wanted to avoid activating her aura in public, but she also knew that without it, the fight would cause far more collateral damage. Deciding her duty to the people was more important than the potential social consequences, she activated her aura anyway and launched her sword in javelin form at the creature.

The javelin lodged into the Griffin's hind leg. Pyrrha used her semblance to push her weapon deeper into its flesh, cutting the leg off at the knee joint. Screeching in pain, the Griffin went airborne and fled the area.

If Pyrrha lost it, it could still do a lot of damage to the sector. She gave chase.

Everywhere Pyrrha ran, people fled from two things: the Grimm and the witch on its tail. All of the moving bodies made pursuing the Griffin demanding. Pyrrha was starting to lose ground. Just as she was certain she'd lost the Grimm, the crowd was literally thrown aside.

With a clear path now, Pyrrha used her last chance within range to throw her javelin one more time. Her semblance propelled it, and it hit the Griffin in the back of the neck, disconnecting its spine. It immediately began the decomposition process. Pyrrha returned her weapon to her hand with a sigh of relief.

As she sheathed it and looked around to assess the situation, the cause of her success appeared.

"You're one of Ruby's friends, aren't you?" Penny asked. "I'm sorry, I don't think I ever learned your name."

"Oh… My name is Pyrrha."

"Pyrrha… It's nice to see you again! I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Penny."

As she introduced herself, the citizens began to regain their bearings. "Witches!" they yowled as they stood. "Bunch of dirty witches throwing us around! We ought to tell the guards about this! They probably summoned that Grimm and lost control of it!"

Penny shook her head. "There seems to be a misunderstanding. I was just trying to help. I'm sorry if you got hurt—I tried not to put that much force into it, but I'm still not very good at controlling my powers."

Seeing that the crowd was getting rowdy, Pyrrha leaned in and said, "We should go."

Someone threw a rock, and it hit Penny above the left eye. When blood dripped into it, she dabbed at it with her hand, looked at the red droplets, and frowned. "I think you're right. I don't think they want to listen to us…"

It was then that Pyrrha remembered Ruby saying that Penny couldn't feel. Still, when more townsfolk began collecting rocks and other things, she shielded them both as they left the region. The safest place Pyrrha could think of was the army compound—going to Penny's home would tempt the mob to damage her property.

"People sure don't like aura," Penny observed.

"No, they don't," Pyrrha replied. She blocked a flying rotten fruit with her shield as they ran. "Can you make it to the compound?"

"Of course! I'd love to go! I bet so much has changed since my father left office."

At that, the two sped up to outpace the mob.

/-/-/-/

Yang stood looking over the map on the coffee table while Blake sat next to her with the reference books.

"There are only two major deserts on Remnant," Yang said. Her brow was furrowed, but she didn't seem to think deducing the correct coordinates of the temple would be difficult. "And, the temple's supposed to have gates, so that excludes anything in Vacuo. That means we're only starting with... the entire continent of Menagerie." She sucked in a breath. "Yikes. That's not the one I was hoping for."

Blake flipped to the end of a reference book. "These reference books have very little information on Menagerie, which makes sense seeing as they were written by Atlas' upper class."

"Well, do you know anything?" Yang asked. "I remember an old lady calling you the 'cream of the cats' once."

"That was a long time ago…"

"But, it still happened," Yang said suggestively. "C'mon, Blake, you have to know something."

"I…"

"I'll do anything you want for a week."

"I don't…" Blake shook her head. "Yang, we can't just leave behind all of our responsibilities to look into a strange note we found in your bedroom. We don't even know who sent it or what they want. Shouldn't we at least know that first?"

"Well, Pyrrha and Weiss are looking into all the murder cases now, so I don't think we have to worry about that. As far as who sent the note… I'm sure we'll figure it out once we get there."

"Why are you so eager to go?" Blake demanded. "Doesn't getting justice for Port, Oobleck, and Jaune mean anything to you?"

Yang looked a little hurt at that. "You know it means a lot to me, Blake, but they have my scarf. I told you before that that's very important to me. It was my mom's scarf, and who knows, maybe going to find it means we find her as well. Even if we figure out who killed Port and Oobleck, or caught Mercury and Roman, we can't bring anyone back from the dead. I'm not heartless, it's just that I'd rather keep moving forward."

"You finding your mom from this is highly unlikely," Blake reasoned. "It could be a trap. Maybe it was even set by Cinder's allies or anti-witch assassins."

"Maybe… But, 'highly unlikely' is the best chance I've ever gotten at finding her." Yang ran a hand through her hair. "I've spent my whole life trying to find her. I know it's not like I'm running around looking in every window or under every rock, but I've never stopped thinking about her. How could I? She had me, and then she left. That really weighs on a kid."

Blake knit her brow. "I know it can't be easy… but, Yang, I was exiled from my homeland after I joined the White Fang. If I'm caught back in Menagerie, they'll kill us. No trial, no mercy, nothing."

"Do you really think they'll know it's you after all these years?"

"It doesn't matter how much time has passed. I will always look like a Belladonna. I don't want me to be the reason we—"

"Stop. Don't worry about that. We're in this together, Blake. And… I guess that means that I can't force you to go, but it also means you can't force me to stay. I still want to go. Do… you want to stay?"

Blake pursed her lips.

"I'm sure Ruby, Weiss, and Pyrrha can handle the murder cases. Besides, I don't mind death warrants. I've got too many of 'em out for me," Yang smiled.

Blake mulled it over for some time. "If you've made up your mind, then… I'll go with you. You'll need a guide." She exhaled. "Truthfully, I wish I was better at saying no to you. Even if this is important to you, I don't agree with leaving everything behind."

"I know… But, the fact that you're still going with me means more than you know. Thank you," Yang said.

Blake nodded.

Yang paused for a few beats, then asked, "So, where are these temples?"

Blake took out a pen and started dotting Menagerie. She placed down five dots, paused, then put down one more. "All of these temples match the clues in the poem." They were all very, very far apart.

"Do we need to search all of them?"

"I don't know… To my knowledge, half of these aren't in use anymore. But, maybe that's why they'd be directing us towards one of them."

Yang sighed. "So, it looks like we do." She stretched. "I guess it's a good thing there's only one major port town in Menagerie. We'll have to start there and gather information before we continue."

"That's also where we'll have to watch our backs the most," Blake cautioned.

"Well, I've got your six."

"I'm more worried about watching yours. Just as Faunus aren't welcome in the four kingdoms, humans aren't welcome in Menagerie."

"I'm sure we can handle it," Yang said confidently. "Now, we just gotta head out!"

"Head where?" Weiss asked, suddenly appearing behind them.

Blake jumped to a standing position.

Even Yang was startled. "Whoa, Weiss," she said. "Ever heard of knocking?"

Ruby appeared behind Weiss a second later. "Guess who's done with her business meeting?" Her abruptness surprised Weiss, who wheeled on her.

"Don't change subjects! We were talking about something important," she hissed.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "My apologies, Your Highness." She curtsied. "Please, continue."

"The day you finally do a proper curtsy, it's to mock me," Weiss grumbled. "Anyways, Yang here was just telling us about where she's off to next."

"You're leaving again?" Ruby gasped. "But, what about finding who killed Port and Oobleck, and catching Roman and Mercury?"

"Sorry, Rubes, we can't avoid this. We're taking a trip to Menagerie."

"Well, when are you leaving?"

"Um… Is tomorrow too soon?" Yang asked hopefully.

Everyone else's jaw dropped.

"What?" Weiss screeched.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

AN: Yang, you must really value your mother… But, how much does she value you? I have to admit, I side with Blake on this one.

Moreover, thank you all for the continual reviews. I'll try to post again shortly.

NEXT: Dreams and Destiny


	6. Dreams and Destiny

~~AAAND START!~~ (Dreams and Destiny)

Neptune sat through the meeting with a half-genuine look of interest. Most of these weekly updates were boring. Almost no progress was being made. On occasion, something bad happened. Rarely, something good happened and a suspected witch was saved from mutilation.

It was one thing to hear about the good and the bad, but whenever Neptune tried to talk about actions the kingdom should take from there, the meeting got even more awkward and vague. Sighing, Neptune checked the agenda, praying he could make it through another ten minutes.

"Finally, the guard would like to report on an incident that happened earlier today."

Neptune nodded and tried his best not to immediately stare out the window. He took a sip of water.

The guard rep cleared her throat. "A pack of five Griffins attacked the city border today."

Neptune's eyes bulged. He nearly choked on his drink. Griffins weren't very common in the area, and five of them? "How old were they?"

"Judging by their size and strength, the pack contained a range of ages from two to fifteen years old. We lost sight of the youngest, but Lieutenant Nikos and Penny Polendina succeeded in neutralizing the threat. However, their use of aura left more than a few disgruntled citizens."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"We lost two guards. Also, there were a couple of bruised townsfolk after Ms. Polendina threw them aside. She has decided to stay at the army compound until the public moves on from the shock of the endeavor." The guard flipped through a few papers. "We conclude that, given the rarity of Griffins on our borders, the Grimm were either driven here by an external threat, or were riled up. If the Grimm's activity levels are rising, the guard requests more funding to combat it. If the cause was an external threat, the army would request the same. We have contacted Intelligence to begin investigating the issue. We will keep you informed."

"Thank you."

"And now," the scribe warbled. His glasses shook only slightly less violently than his head. "The report on the pirated cargo ship from Vacuo, and the new technologies from Atlas…"

"Uh-huh…" Neptune checked the agenda and nodded. Five more minutes.

/-/-/-/

Pyrrha poured Penny a cup of tea and sat opposite her. "Are you sure your father is alright with you staying the night?"

"He probably won't like it, but I'm sure he'll understand," Penny replied.

Pyrrha nodded. "My parents were similarly overprotective. Then, I joined the army." She laughed. "Now, I wish I still had some of the freedoms I did back then."

"Really? But, joining the army sounds like so much fun! You get to travel and meet new people," Penny gushed. "I've been begging my father to let me join, but I think he still has to adjust to me not being sick anymore."

"Yes, it's nice to travel, but when Mistral and Vale signed their most recent treaty, my entire unit was sent to Vale in exchange for sensitive documents on Atlas. We were stripped of our rank and split into different regions. It's… not exactly the travel I had in mind."

"But, you did get to make new friends, didn't you?"

"Yes… I met some of the most amazing people, and I had some of the best experiences of my life… but, unfortunately, good things come to an end."

"Do you have to go back to Mistral?" Penny gasped.

"No, I lost someone very important to me, and I'm… afraid I became complacent during my time here in Vale. I thought he would always be a constant in my life… I just hope he knew how much he meant to me. I was so busy with the army that I feel as though I didn't have enough time to show him."

"Oh… Pyrrha, I'm so sorry."

"Thank you."

Penny nodded, then checked her hand to make sure the cup hadn't burned it. She set it down when she realized that it had. "I think sad things like that happen so we can keep growing."

Pyrrha smiled melancholically. "Do you believe in destiny?" she asked.

"I've… never thought about that before." Penny mulled it over. "When I was sick, I knew I would get better, but I don't think anything is planned. I think life is too complex to be planned. And I think that's what makes it wonderful," she replied, smiling back. "What about you? Do you believe in destiny?"

"In Mistral, we believe everything is predetermined. In our temples, it is taught that the Goddess wrote our fates in the stars long before we were born… but so many of my convictions and long-held beliefs have shattered. I thought I knew my destiny. I thought I knew where my actions would take me. I thought I knew who I would spend my life with, but I know nothing. Now, I don't even know if the destiny I fought for exists." Pyrrha exhaled heavily and looked at the table. Emotion welled in her eyes.

Penny knitted her eyebrows. "Don't worry, Pyrrha, I'm sure you'll find your destiny. After all, it's written in the stars, isn't it?"

"That's what I've been taught."

Penny smiled reassuringly. "Then, one day, you'll just look up, and you'll know."

Pyrrha looked at her and regained her posture. She was tired, but her shoulders seemed lighter. "Thank you for indulging me. I'm sorry it wasn't a very fun conversation, though."

"Oh, don't you worry about that! I enjoy talking with you! I don't have many friends, but if I did, I would always enjoy talking with them about things like this."

"Well, if you'd like to join the army, I could certainly help with that. Who knows, you might even be assigned to my region," Pyrrha suggested slyly. "If you want."

Penny was ecstatic to hear that. In the back of her mind, however, she knew her father would be less so to say the least. Still, she had a dream, and she was eager to achieve it. Especially if it meant serving alongside Pyrrha. Strong and compassionate, Penny couldn't imagine a better soldier. "I can't wait to go home and tell my father the good news!"

/-/-/-/

Weiss threw a hand out to the side. "You tell us about this strange quest hours after sunset, and you want to leave tomorrow? Where is your sense of common decency? Where are you even going and what in the world are you doing?"

"Okay, yeah, I guess tomorrow was too soon," Yang retracted. "But, we'll definitely be leaving within the week."

"Great! What other shocking news could we possibly get at this hour?"

The bell outside the shop sounded. "Express letter delivery!"  
Ruby tried to stifle a laugh.

"Ruby, will you please get the door?" Weiss strained. The muscles in her neck were clearly visible.

"I don't really feel like it," Ruby replied nonchalantly.

"I don't know why I even bother," Weiss growled. "I'll be right back."

As soon as she left, Ruby and Yang burst into laughter.

"I can hear you laughing at me!" Weiss yelled back at them.

They laughed even harder.

Weiss returned moments later with a letter addressed to her. A black snowflake sealed it, and her face was very pale. She sat down to open it.

"What's in the letter?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know, I haven't opened it yet," Weiss said exasperatedly.

"No, I mean, who sent it?"

"My father did… which is why I'd like some quiet, please."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "So, where in Menagerie are you going?" she asked Yang.

"Oh, you know… Kind of all over the place," Yang answered ambiguously.

"We don't know yet," Blake elaborated.

"Of course you don't!" Weiss commented from the couch. She had succeeded in taking out a sheet of paper that smelled of spearmint from the envelop, and held it with slightly shaking hands. It was perfectly folded into thirds. Taking more than a few deep breaths, she opened it. After reading the contents, she excused herself, then left the room in a hurried daze.

"There she goes again," Ruby said.

"Ruby!" Weiss called urgently.

"What?"

Weiss reappeared and dragged her outside. "Come with me, please. We have an urgent matter to attend to."

"Uh…?"

The door closed, but Yang and Blake could still hear Ruby exclaim "Your dad's coming?" in disbelief.

Yang laughed and turned to Blake. "So… that turned out to be perfect timing. What do you say we get out of here before Papa Schnee shows up?"

"Tomorrow?" Blake asked.

"I'm game if you are!"

"I'm so game."

/-/-/-/

Generally speaking, Ironwood was not enthused. He put a hand to his temple and sighed. "Penny, as much as I'd like for you to join the armed forces, you're still not ready. Your condition isn't stable enough… You still hear those voices, and you expect me to think you'll be effective in battle?"

"But, Father, I don't think I'll ever stop hearing them," Penny said, wishing that for once, her father could accept what he didn't understand. "If you think I'm still sick now, then I don't think I can ever get better!"

"But, I can't always be there to explain when your powers get out of control, and neither can Lieutenant Nikos. If you seriously injure a comrade during training, you will face severe punishment, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"I don't need your help. If I hurt someone like that, I should be punished! The army is supposed to teach people how to control themselves, isn't it? Father, I'm tired of being kept in the house all day. I want to explore and do new things, and if you won't support me, then… Then I guess I'll do it myself," Penny decided. The realization of her potential independence invigorated her. She suddenly felt like she could do anything. A smile came to her face. Yes, she'd do it herself.

"Penny, listen to me!" Ironwood demanded.

"No. I'm done doing that." Penny turned around and headed towards the door. "I don't need your permission to do this."

"Don't you dare leave this house!"

Penny opened the front door. "Goodbye, Father," she said dramatically, feeling a rebellious patch of sunshine on her face. It felt good. She would have her own adventure! At that, she left and headed straight to the compound.

She was stopped at the gate by a rather happy-go-lucky soldier.

"Hey, Penny! What brings you here today?"

"I'd like to enlist, please."

"Following in your father's footsteps, eh? Not bad. Would you like to use him as your referral?"

In Vale, getting a referral into the armed forces from a reputable veteran allows citizens to take a placement test. Based on the test scores of the newly enlisted person, they will be put on an accelerated training regimen to ascend to a corresponding rank that is less than or equal to the veteran that referred them.

Without a referral, moving up in the ranks can take years, even for highly-skilled enlisted soldiers, but referrals themselves were hard to come by. Each veteran must go through great lengths to be able to give a single referral, and they usually only used them on family. Seeing as Ironwood had expressly forbidden Penny from joining the military, she was at a loss. Still, she was too determined to let that stop her.

"Actually, my Father doesn't want me to join, so I can't use him as my referral," she said.

"So, she'll be using me instead," Pyrrha interjected. She'd just gotten back from supervising a patrol, and a sector of hers followed in close rank.

The soldier at the gate saluted. "Lieutenant Nikos! If that's the case, I'm sure you've got the paperwork and everything all figured out." He signaled for the gate to open. "Head on inside, then."

"Pyrrha!" Penny gasped. "Are you sure about this?"

"I can't think of a better person to give my referral to," Pyrrha smiled. She'd been saving hers for Jaune in case he'd ever wanted to join, but that was impossible now.

"Thank you so much! You won't regret this," Penny saluted.

"I know you'll do well," Pyrrha reassured her. "If you'd like to start the paperwork, I'll meet you when I'm done giving my report."

"Sen-sational! I'll see you soon, Pyrrha!"

/-/-/-/

Yang and Blake had left shortly after sunrise. Weiss had given them an earful for leaving on such short notice even when they said they wouldn't, then finished by demanding they be careful. Ruby was sad to see them leave, especially Yang, but she also understood why they'd chosen to start their journey so soon. Weiss' father was not the equality-loving, Faunus-respecting person he pretended to be at galas.

Ever since Blake stopped wearing her bow, tolerance became a huge factor in where she and Yang went, what they did, and who they did quests for. Not that they limited themselves, but they definitely weighed their options when making decisions. The only thing was, Ruby had no idea when they'd return. It could be over a year until she saw them again—they were travelling to a whole other continent. But, she decided not to dwell on that, and offered to help Weiss prepare the stores for her father's visit instead. Not that Weiss would allow her to sit this one out, anyway...

They had begun tidying up last night, but had taken a break for sleep. Now, Ruby was still trying to organize her tool set while Weiss had already gone around and cleaned every corner of both stores. She was currently on her side of the shops with a ruler, meticulously measuring the distance between each crystal of Dust on display to a thirty-second of an inch. Every once in a while, she'd frown, move a crystal, and remeasure.

Ruby, narrowed her eyes at her toolset. She was missing something… but what? "Hey, Weiss, have you seen my…"

"Next to your wind Dust display," Weiss answered.

Ruby walked out to the display and nodded. She'd forgotten the second set of tongs a client had gifted her. "Thanks."

Weiss hummed in recognition, then got down on her hands and knees to measure the distance between the displays. "May I borrow your yardstick?"

"Yeah, one sec." Ruby grabbed it from her office and handed it over. "Is your dad really that strict?"

"It's not 'strict,'" Weiss replied, crawling over to the next Dust case. "I have to make sure my store is up to the SDC's interior layout code. It's company policy, and it's been around for far longer than my father."

Ruby wrinkled her nose. "Gross."

"Think what you want," Weiss shrugged. "But, my family hasn't become the largest Dust company in Remnant by being sloppy." After double-checking her latest measurement, she groaned. It was a sixteenth of an inch too far to the left. She put her back against the display case and pushed with her feet. Upon remeasuring, she found she'd pushed too far to the right.

Ruby watched for a little while, then shrugged and went back into her office to organize her order slips.

/-/-/-/

Yang looked over the map as she and Blake walked out of the city. In order to get to Menagerie, they had to hike through a mountain pass until they got to a small village at the source of a river. Then, they would take a watercraft down the river until they reached the mouth. At the port city there, they would board a ship leaving for Menagerie, where they'd cross the desert to find the right temple.

It was going to be a long, likely dangerous journey, and they didn't know when they'd be able to return to Vale, but if there was any place Yang felt at home, it was on the road. Sometimes, she thought about staying home with Ruby or getting a place in another city, but that was never appealing to her. She could rationalize or guilt her way into staying at Rose's Runes, but her heart drove her back to the dirt trails and open skies eventually. Staying somewhere for too long made her feel restless, and maybe that was a bad thing, but it was a trait she'd learned to accept.

There were other things she wondered out here, too. She wondered how big the world really was, and how long she could go before discovering every place on it. She wondered if she'd even be able to do that before she died. She wondered when the adventurer's curse—death by quest—would catch up with her. She wondered if it would catch up with Blake, too. She hoped not.

When she was tired of her own thoughts, she'd talk. When she was tired of everything, she'd itch for a fight. She never tired of those. Life as an adventurer was simple. The only rules were to enjoy life, and to not get stuck in a dungeon or caught dead. Yang thought that was the best creed to live by. After all, she'd devised it herself.

She exhaled and smiled. Yet another adventure. It was sure to be the best one yet.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Loyalty


	7. Loyalty

~~AAAND START!~~ (Loyalty)

As soon as Jacques Schnee stepped down from his taller-than-average horse, Ruby knew exactly where Weiss got her… everything from.

"Wait in your office," Weiss told her quietly. "I'll let you know when I'm ready to introduce you."

"Okay," Ruby shrugged. She almost added that Weiss could feel free to take her time with this, but decided against it. After all, she was officially obliged to meet Jacques at least once.

Ruby turned and left for her office to finish an order. She was about to close the door when she saw Weiss take a deep breath. Instantly, her white-framed features lit up into a brilliant smile.

Ruby stopped with her hand on the door handle. She felt like she was witnessing a crime. Her eyes were fixed to the image. Weiss' smile was so practiced that it may well have been an optical illusion. It almost seemed to light up her eyes. Almost. As if sensing weakness, a fatal flaw, Weiss pushed out a frustrated sigh. Her shoulders drooped. Then, she quickly inhaled, drew herself up, and plastered on a replica of the perfect smile.

Her father hadn't seen any of this through the window. He seemed too busy sizing up the building's general appearance.

As Weiss went to open the door, Ruby shut hers. She hovered at the wooden frame for a moment, unsure of what to make of this. How many times had Weiss practiced that smile? Ruby shook her head. It wasn't her business… or so she wanted to believe. She could almost hear Weiss' inner monologue. "Eyebrows up… Not that far!"

Knowing that was at least ninety percent accurate sickened Ruby. She sighed and went to hammer out a spell.

A while later, Weiss knocked on the door.

Ruby opened it. "Finally ready?"

Weiss shook her head. "No. My father informed me he's staying the week in a house nearby. I'll formally introduce you in two days. The only reason he came by today was to make sure the store is up to code."

"Is it?"  
"Yes… for the most part. There are a few minor things I have to adjust, but it's almost perfect."

"But, you worked so hard on it," Ruby marveled despite herself. "What could you possibly have missed?"

"He changed the seasonal codes earlier today. I have to rearrange the Dust displays."

"Well, how could he be mad at you for that? You didn't know. You can't read minds."

Weiss frowned. "I don't need to read minds. This is business."

"How?" Ruby scoffed.

"There were signs," Weiss exhaled. "Will you lend me your yardstick again?"

"Sure, Weiss. Anything you want," Ruby said, rolling her eyes.

/-/-/-/

The soldier handed Penny a handful of papers with a wink. "The first one's a warm-up," he laughed. "Good luck. If you don't know an answer, don't sweat it. There's always the combat test."

"Right. Thank you very much!" Penny accepted the tests, and spread them out on the desk in front of her. She filled in her name at the top, then grinned when she saw that most of the questions were fill-in-the-blank as well. It was just like the tests her father used to give her. When she wasn't too ill, she'd taken a few army placement tests a month, just to make sure she was ready when the time came.

Penny quickly scribbled in the answers to the questions given to her. She then returned to the soldier with a triumphant smile. "I'm ready for round two."

"Huh?"

"You said the first one's a warm-up. May I take the second part of the test now, or do I have to come back later?" she inquired.

"Oh, uh… I meant that the first sheet's a warm-up because it just asks for identification info. There's not actually a second part to the test. You're finished."

"Oh. Well, that was easier than I expected."

The soldier blinked. "Are you sure you answered every question? You went a little fast there."

"I can say with one-hundred percent certainty that every question is answered correctly!" Penny answered happily.

"Uh…" The soldier's eyes shifted uncomfortably around the testing room. "Okay? Are you ready for the, uh… combat portion of the placement exam?"

"Absolutely!" Penny froze. "But, I forgot my sword at home."

"We can provide you with a replica from the armory."

Penny shook her head. "My sword is custom-made. The only thing close enough would be a yatagan. Do you have a yatagan?"

"Yata… a what-now?"

"They're swords curved like this," Penny explained as she bent her arm to show him.

"Uh… no," the soldier said.

"Hmm. In that case, I suppose I could use a cutlass. Do you have any of those?"

"Now, that I can say yes to," the soldier said with some relief. Finally, something that made sense.

"Sen-sational! We can start whenever you like. I'm combat ready!" Penny saluted with a smile.

The soldier doubted it. He'd seen her type before. Eating from silver spoons their whole lives, passing all the knowledge tests because mommy or daddy drilled it into their head so many times… They had no chance in actual combat. But, Penny was so earnest, he couldn't help but hope she defied his expectations.

/-/-/-/

Penny closed her eyes and felt the cutlass' weight in her hand. The voices were riled, excited for the fight, but worried as well. "I'll be fine. I won't use my powers for this," she whispered. Somewhat consoled, they quieted. She was hearing them less and less now, but she also felt their presence more. When Penny began training her aura on her own, she learned to intertwine her soul with theirs. It was so much better than putting up futile resistance, and her body could handle it now that she had aura. Words and interference were becoming less and less necessary. Harmony had taken their place.

The referee checked to make sure the arena was adequately prepared, then returned to his position just outside the circle. "Are both opponents ready to begin the match?"

Penny smiled. "Yes. I'm looking forward to it."

The officer across from her nodded as well. She would be fighting her region's major, who would assess her performance from there. His broadsword glinted as he unsheathed it. "Best of luck, Penny. Remember, you aren't expected to win. Just do your best," he said.

"I will," Penny replied. Though, she would prefer to win, she also didn't want to underestimate the major.

"Begin!" the referee called.

They approached and tapped swords, then jumped back immediately. The major smashed a vial of blood onto his blade and yelled, "Burn!" His sword lit up. He approached quickly.

Penny blocked a downward slash, and used Howl to destabilize his stance. He recovered fast enough to block her thrust, then grabbed her blade and pulled her forward. She dodged a hack to the middle and used her smaller frame to round on him, freeing her blade and aiming for the back of his neck.

He ducked, turned, and swiped at her. She jumped the blade, then sprang backwards to avoid Zero. His longer arms and longer sword meant that if she couldn't get back within close range again, her chances of winning were slim. Glancing at the ice beside her, she hacked off a piece with her sword and threw it. The major cut it down, entertaining the distraction, but was ready for her next attack.

Their blades locked. Penny grinned, realizing just how much fun she was having. The major frowned and shoved her off balance. She twisted, rolling out of the way of his next hit, then Froze his Burning sword to the ground. It would hold for long enough. Seeing her chance, she and aimed for his spine, but he let go of his sword and cast Shock.

Penny crumpled to the ground, but recovered quickly. After all, she couldn't feel a thing. Still, the major had thrown her cutlass aside. By now, his broadsword had melted the ice surrounding it. He recovered the weapon.

Seeing a blow heading straight for her head, Penny caught the blade. Blood pool in her palm. The major pushed down harder, and the blade lodged itself further into her hand. Penny could hear flesh searing, but she didn't flinch. Instead, she suddenly pulled the blade closer. He lost his balance. She headbutted him.

With the upper hand now, Penny wiped more blood from her forehead, kneed him the gut, then flipped them both over. He blocked a hit, and threw her off of him. Then, he staggered to his feet. He attacked with a battle cry.

Penny recovered her cutlass. She blocked a downward slash, but she had forgotten that her hand was cut and weakened. Her blade slipped, and the major stopped the match there, just as his sword was about to crash into her skull.

The referee confirmed the end of the match. "Both opponents sheath your weapons!" They did as requested. "Penny, do you have any final words about the match?"

Penny nodded. "Thank you so much!" she breathed. "That was the most fun I've had in ages. I'm honored to have been able to fight you."

The major nodded, then held out his hand to help her stand. Penny was about to reach for it with her bloody one, but switched to her non-dominant hand at the last second.

"Congratulations," he said after she stood. "I'm passing you with a max grade. If your test scores work out, you'll train in to be a lieutenant."

Penny saluted. "Thank you, Sir!"

The major nodded, then gestured towards the medic's building. "We'll wait in there for your overall grade."

"Yes, Sir!" Penny answered happily, then followed him to go get patched up.

/-/-/-/

That evening, Penny moved into Pyrrha's room. Lieutenants had their own quarters, but since Penny was still training to become one, she had to share one with the current lieutenant. When she earned her rank, she would get her own room and her own region… However, there were also no vacant spots for lieutenants in the army. Unless the city grew or it was a time of war, Penny would have wait. For now, even if she'd earned a higher title, the most she could be was Pyrrha's second. Penny didn't mind it, though. She'd joined the army for the experience, not the power.

Ironwood had sent her sword over when he heard that she'd actually enlisted. Penny took that as a sign that he'd come around eventually.

Pyrrha arrived right after Penny had finished setting up the new bunk bed. "Penny?" It took her a moment to register what was happening. "You maxed out," she concluded warmly. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you! I'm excited to learn from you, Lieutenant Nikos." Now that she was in uniform, Penny was determined to address her correctly.

"The pleasure is all mine," Pyrrha returned. "Have you eaten yet? They're serving in the mess hall. You must be hungry after today."

"I haven't eaten, but—" Penny's stomach grumbled. "I'm probably very hungry."

Pyrrha set a stack of papers down and turned towards the door. "Shall we?" She noticed Penny's bandages as they left. "Difficult match?" she asked, glancing at them.

"What? Oh, this. It's okay, I can't feel any pain. I was going to it heal with my aura later tonight."

Pyrrha nodded, surprised that Penny could in such a good mood with that serious of an injury. "Make sure you don't move it too much until then."

"Yes, Ma'am. I won't move it one bit."

Pyrrha chuckled at the serious response to an informal request. "That's one upside to aura," she continued. "You're back in fighting condition as quickly as possible."

"It is very useful," Penny agreed thoughtfully. "I think the army could really benefit from it."

"I'm sure it'll make its way in eventually," Pyrrha said. "It's invaluable as both a shield and a sword. But for now, we just have to work on letting people know that it's not as bad as they think it is." They finally reached the mess hall.

"I don't think they think at all. How can a soul be bad?" Penny frowned.

Pyrrha's face darkened. She remained quiet.

Penny shrugged. "But, I'm sure it'll work out eventually!"

"Yes, I'm sure it will." With that, Pyrrha opened the door the mess hall.

/-/-/-/

Sometimes, Penny woke up in the middle of the night. She would look around and wonder where a ghostly sound had come from, but it was just a dream. A dream she could never remember. Tonight, however, the sound was real. The door to her room had closed. "Lieutenant Nikos?" she asked. It was too dark to see.

Penny stood and lit a candle. She peered at the top bunk, but no one was there.

/-/-/-/

Jacques Schnee was a brusque man with no tolerance for the unexpected. When he walked, he did so deliberately. His nose was always higher than it needed to be. When he ate, he had perfect manners. When he spoke, he made it clear that his way was the only option.

Ruby poked at her fruit bowl. She wasn't in the mood for this meeting, but she'd agreed to it. What Weiss worshipped in her father was an unsolvable mystery.  
"Weiss, I couldn't understand why you two became partners until I looked at the numbers. Profits have been higher than any new Schnee branch in years. Many of our big-name clients in Atlas are wondering how you managed it."  
"Thank you, Father," Weiss accepted.  
"I'm not finished speaking yet," he snapped. "You will wait until I ask you a question before you speak, is that clear?"  
Weiss' faint smile fell. "Yes, Father."  
"Good." He dabbed at his face with a napkin.  
Ruby stopped poking at her fruit. To see Weiss submit so easily to something so disrespectful irritated her. Weiss couldn't stand the smallest things, yet she just laid down like a doormat for this?  
"So, in order to show the public the innovative success Schnees are capable of, you'll be coming to formally introduce your branch to our friends in Atlas."

Weiss' eyebrows shot up. She opened her mouth to object, but then closed it moments later.

"Our ship is boarding in two days. I expect you on it, is that clear?"

"Father, with due respect, I have guard duties that I can't just abandon," Weiss started.

Her father scoffed. "You're capable of doing paperwork on a boat. Your second can handle the rest."

"But, I have business meetings—"

"I won't tell you twice!" he barked.

She looked down at her plate.

At this point, Ruby couldn't take it any longer. Weiss might be under his control, but she certainly wasn't. "Weiss is right," Ruby asserted.

Weiss jumped, breaking from whatever spell she was under. She looked at Ruby with alarm and warning, but Ruby didn't care.

"You can't just come in here and take her away. Especially when she doesn't want to go! Can't she choose her own life?"

Jacques set his silverware down and looked at her, appraised her. There was a coldness to his look that Ruby had never seen in anyone else. She grew uneasy, but held his gaze firmly. "You seem," he hissed, "to have forgotten that Weiss is a Schnee, and that I am her father. I own this company. Everything she does, every breath she takes is for the good of the family business, and I decide what is good for the company. Not her, and certainly not you." He narrowed his eyes. "With you being of such low blood, one would think you would understand hierarchy."

"I'm sorry I don't have papers proving that I'm all rich and fancy," Ruby returned. "And I admit I don't know a lot about your family, but I do know that Weiss is not puppet. She's been making her own decisions for longer than you've been around, and she's been really successful."

"Your insolence is impressive," Jacques spat. "I can't imagine how Weiss manages you. She must have a taste for wild dogs. Do you honestly think you can challenge me in my own house? If you don't watch yourself, there will be repercussions that neither you nor Weiss will find even slightly bearable."

Ruby was about to say something else, but it occurred to her that this was Weiss' battle. The feeling of injustice, however, wouldn't leave her. "Well… Then, I'm going with her!"

"Of course you are. That was never a question to begin with." Jacques stood. "Now that we're decided, I have other things to attend to. The staff will see you out." He pushed in his chair and headed for the door.

Ruby exhaled heavily when he left, stabbing a melon cube and devouring it. She grumbled afterwards, fidgeting in her chair. When she looked at Weiss, she stopped.

Weiss' hands were shaking. She looked shocked. "Why did you do that?" she whispered.

"Weiss, he was treating you like dirt!" Ruby thought it was obvious, but Weiss couldn't wrap her mind around it.

"He—You—What were you thinking? You completely disrespected my father right in front of me!"

"I was just trying to stand up for you!"

That did nothing to quell Weiss' ire.

"Ugh, whatever!" Ruby headed for the door. "I'll meet you outside."

/-/-/-/

Weiss didn't know what was worse. That Ruby spoke up or that she was almost glad that she did so. She filed some order request forms, and put a hand to the bridge of her nose. Ruby complicated everything. It was a well-known fact that she didn't have the best manners, but Weiss had never expected her to make such a terrible first impression.

Even if Jacques did something she disagreed with, he was her father. He owned the company. If Weiss wanted to inherit the SDC, if she wanted to uphold her family name, if she wanted to finally feel like she was a part of the family she was supposed to advance, she needed to listen to him. He was the authority, and he would be until one of his children's branches—Weiss' branch—surpassed his own in financial income and stability.

She sighed. Ruby never made things easy. She was like some mischievous supernatural creature, and Weiss was stuck with the otherworldly disturbance.

She felt a headache coming on.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

AN: Oh, Weiss…

NEXT: The Network


	8. The Network

~~AAAND START!~~ (The Network)

Pyrrha would leave at exactly the same time each night, returning closer and closer to the morning each time. During the day, she would stare into space. A blank look would slowly emerge, then darken. After the spell had passed, Pyrrha would blink and re-engage in whatever she was doing. It happened when she was listening to directions, when she was eating, when she was waiting to request more supplies, and when she was doing paperwork. Penny was starting to worry. If she asked Pyrrha what was wrong, she'd just make light of it, but it was clearly a deeper matter.

During lunch, Pyrrha accidentally overfilled a glass of black tea and burned herself. That night, Penny decided to tail her so she could figure out exactly what was going on. Even though she didn't know Pyrrha very well, something didn't seem right. When she would space out, a completely different air would come about her. Penny wanted to make sure she was okay.

As soon as the door closed, Penny slipped from bed and pulled on her boots. Just in case, she took her sword with her.

She followed Pyrrha around a corner and to the compound wall. A soldier stopped her on the way. "Sub-Lieutenant Polendina! What are you doing out here?"

"Nothing," Penny said. She tried to smile innocently, but it became more of a grimace. She hiccupped. "I just couldn't sleep."

"Oh. Got the hiccups?"

"No…" She hiccupped. "I mean, yes, I do."

"That's too bad. Try holding your breath while balancing a wind Dust crystal on your forehead. I know it sounds weird, but it works."

Glancing at the gate, Penny realized she'd lost Pyrrha. "Thank you for your concern about my well-being, but I really have to go…" Realizing how suspicious that sounded, she added, "For a walk. To clear my head!" She hiccupped.

"Ok, see you around, Sub-Lieutenant."

"Goodbye!" At that, Penny speed-walked over to the gate, then broke into a run outside of it. Where did Pyrrha go? Choosing a random direction, Penny sprinted down the streets until a flash of red hair caught her attention. Treating this just like a recon mission, she followed Pyrrha at a safe distance, glad she was lucky enough to find her.

They settled into a brisk pace for a few miles. Shops and streets Penny recognized from maps her father made her study went on, and eventually deteriorated. Region six looked almost the same as it had months ago, save for some of King Neptune's renovation projects.

Pyrrha strode past them and knocked on a shack's door. The wood threatened to fall apart with the small disturbance. Penny tried to inch closer, but she couldn't hear what Pyrrha whispered. Seconds later, the door opened. Pyrrha looked up and down the street, then stepped inside and closed the door. Penny moved closer and held her ear to it.

"You ready?" a young man asked her.

"Yes."

Something was dragged around, then, silence.

Penny waited for what seemed like hours, but nothing else happened. Feeling bolder now, she opened the door. The ramshackle building was empty, save for a ratty mattress, a dresser, and the dirt floor. She concluded there must be a hidden passageway, and remembered the sound she'd heard a minute ago.

Turning to the mattress, she dragged it out of the way. Sure enough, a secret passage was revealed. Penny climbed down the ladder, making sure to put the mattress back, and dropped into a well-lit room. It was the polar opposite of the one above it. Rich fur rugs, a giant bed with fine sheets, gold furnishings, bowls of fresh fruit, and a bathtub gave Penny the impression that she had stumbled into an underground mansion. Pyrrha's uniform had been discarded onto the bed. An open door sat on the opposite end of the room.

Penny hurried through it and into a passage. Suddenly, she realized where she was. Her father had told her about something in region six called the "Network." Only highly-skilled criminals had access to it. It was supposedly a mess of tunnels and rooms the guard had yet to determine the extent of. She continued on, awed at the discovery.

Hearing voices at the end of the hall, Penny slowed her pace and continued cautiously.

"Okay, it's up here. Ready to crash the party?" the man from earlier asked.

"Sun, are you sure you want to do this?" Pyrrha asked.

"Hey, I'm here, aren't I?"

Pyrrha exhaled, and nodded. "Okay. I'm ready." She was wearing a red dress with a necklace made of black lace.

Sun, on the other hand, was wearing simple street clothes and a black a tie. "This one's yours," he said, handing her a black invitation. He ascended the staircase in front of them a moment later. When Pyrrha followed him, Penny realized she wouldn't be able to go any further. She had her uniform on, and no invitation. When she reached the top of the stairs, she would immediately draw attention to herself.

Turning back around, she returned to Sun's room and rummaged through his things to find something useful. After a couple of minutes, she came up with a fur coat, a ton of jewelry, and some studded leather pants. She left on her black undershirt and combat boots, tied a gold-threaded bow into her hair, put on a golden bangle, and left feeling satisfied with herself. There was no way to forge the invitation without knowing what it said, so she decided to improvise.

As soon as she ascended the staircase, she was greeted by a servant.

"Greetings. General Ironwood's daughter… what a rare sight. Did a foe become a friend overnight?"

"I don't recall becoming your friend or your foe," Penny replied blankly. "I'd like to enter this event."

"I cannot allow you access without an invitation, but, I trust you've brought funds for the auction…?"

"Yes, I have." Penny pulled up a bag of Sun's golden jewelry. Since this was an auction, she could place a bet if she had to, but she would rather return everything to Sun later.

To her surprise, the servant took the bag from her and smiled. Her rich laugh echoed past Penny and down the staircase. "Paying in dirty jewelry. You are a friend indeed." She took a few bracelets and a necklace, then returned the bag to Penny. "Commerce is the common thread that ties us all together. Tonight, you buy yourself access. Tomorrow, I buy myself a new horse. May we both enjoy ourselves. Please, make your way to the display. The auction will begin in an hour."

Penny thanked her and headed inside, glad she was able to get in, but also guilty about bribing the servant with Sun's things. And, more importantly, what was Pyrrha doing at an underground auction?

/-/-/-/

Mercury sighed and leaned back on the staircase just outside the ballroom. He'd come here with Emerald to observe Sun, but he'd done enough observing. Sun was useless, and Emerald was desperate. That's all there was to it. However, Emerald still held on to strange hopes and unproven facts. She would spend entire days delving deeper into whatever books she could steal. She also analyzed Sun's thieving patterns, and bought information about his friends.

At first, Mercury thought she'd run out of money living like that, but she'd actually made herself a business selling information about aura, Grimm, and the witches in the area. From what he could tell, people were only as interested in her information as they were in scandals. It was just something to plan around or to think about to pass the time or to fantasize about. It was fine for them to dream about witches working for their drug rings or Dust rings… but they didn't go to the witches lest their messengers were blasted with magic.

Mercury found work as an assassin, and was rather pleased to do it. There was something about being someone's absolute, unexpected end. He almost thought it was poetic.

"You think she'll find him?" he mused.

Emerald raised an eyebrow. She was seated above him on the stairs. "Who?"

"Pyrrha Nikos. Do you think she'll find Roman?"

"Maybe…" Emerald didn't seem to care.

"I wonder what she'd do with him if he were still alive."

Emerald looked at him. "We're not here for her."

"No, but there's nothing else to talk about, is there?"

"I'd be happier with silence."

Mercury shrugged and crossed his feet. "You know, something's been bothering me."

Emerald groaned and put a hand to her temple, shaking her head.

"Rumors say there are five witches here," he continued. "Who's the fifth?"

"I guess we'll find out, won't we? Now, shut it. You're distracting me."

"Whatever." Mercury stood and grabbed a glass of wine from the waiter. He raised his glass to her. "Enjoy your staircase," he smirked.

"Where are you going?" Emerald asked skeptically.

"To look around." At that, he took a drink, set the glass back on the waiter's tray, then headed towards the pre-auction display. Cages of low-level Grimm, tables of antiques, and golden goods were arranged on the floor. People milled about them, scoping out both the wares and other potential buyers. The Grimm screeched and howled at them, but the metal cages kept the beasts secure.

Mercury approached a young Beowolf.

"They make fine pets," a servant told him. "Perfect for old and new money alike. They require no food or sustenance, and when they grow older, you simply turn them loose on your enemies. Nowadays, humans are the masters of both the dark and the light. Surely the Goddess smiles upon us, hmm?""

Mercury ignored him, and squatted in front of the cage. Glowing, red eyes stared back at him. The Beowolf made no effort to escape, but watched him menacingly all the same. "You remind me of someone," he murmured. The beast growled at him. He frowned. "Just like her."

/-/-/-/

Penny watched Sun and Pyrrha talk to various Dust sellers. Nothing particularly eventful was happening… Though she didn't want to abandon her mission, she also wanted to look around. She'd never been to an auction before—especially not one in the black market. Everyone spoke quietly and laughed loudly. It was very different from the world she was used to, where people shouted declarations and threats, and snickered at unkept promises.

What most set the auction apart from the world above the Network was the sheer amount of Faunus at the event. They were buyers, sellers, and servants alike. Diversity was a common fixture here. Penny had even heard a few different dialects and languages being spoken. She felt like she'd stumbled into a dream. Following Pyrrha was the best decision she'd made in a while.

Not wanting to risk being seen, she resigned herself to staying at the food table. She'd been there for quite some time, and had tried almost everything on it. The only thing she had yet to taste was the fallberry pie. It looked promising, but she was too full to be as excited for it as she was for the ribs.

Moreover, it was disappointing to be able to see Pyrrha, yet unable to hear her. It was clear that she'd come here to speak about a very specific topic. One that made the Dust dealers either very confused or very uncomfortable. Penny was extremely curious, but if she got nearer, someone would exclaim "General Ironwood's daughter in leather pants!" again. It was hard to get out of the ensuing mess.

She scooped a slice of warm fallberry pie onto a plate and smelled it. Fresh spices, and the cream topping entwined their scent with the faintly sweet filling. Penny swallowed reflexively. When she stopped being able to feel, eating was difficult. She couldn't keep the food in her mouth or she'd drool, she'd bite her tongue, and swallowing was suddenly a challenge. Now, she was able to enjoy her food without creating a scene, but not knowing its texture took away from the overall taste. Still, the pie was delightful.

Penny was about to go in for another bite when "General Ironwood's daughter in a fur coat!" was shouted nearby. A small crowd instantly surrounded her. They asked a load of questions. How had she secured an invitation? What was her area of crime? Was she buying or selling? Did she want to partner on any "business ventures"? She wasn't spying, was she?

She had always been told that the people in the Network were shady, scary things; that they were as dark as a Grimm's shadow. Penny couldn't really believe that now. Yes, they did participate in illegal activities, but they weren't shy or secretive. In fact, they were just as passionate and prideful as many of the soldiers she'd met. That didn't make explaining the fur coat any better, though.

As soon as the opportunity presented itself, she slipped away from the crowd and hurried to the other end of the food table. She was back near the perfectly-seasoned ribs. She swallowed, just in case she'd begun to salivate. It still amazed her that at times, she had no idea what her body was doing until someone else told her to wipe her face.

As she polished off the rest of her pie, she watched Sun and Pyrrha move on to the next Dust dealer. They looked tired and frustrated. Penny wanted to go talk to them, but she knew Pyrrha would still dance around the reason why she was here. As Penny watched them, a young man with gray hair approached the food table and grabbed a plate. The more food he put onto it, the more he started to look familiar. After he'd tasted a cookie, frowned, then put it back on the three-tier display, his identity became clear to her.

"You!" she gasped.

Mercury looked up, surprised. He pointed at himself. "Who, me?" he said, throwing a glance to either side of him for dramatics.

"Yes! You're Mercury Black."

"Are you sure?"

Penny was about to respond when the people from the dessert side of the table returned. "You never told about your area of business! Military corruption?"

"I'm sorry, I can't talk right now," Penny said, already edging away. However, when she looked back to the other side of the table, Mercury was gone.

Penny knew she had to tell Pyrrha he was there.

/-/-/-/

Mercury sucked the rest of the rib sauce from his thumb, then gave the empty plate to a waiter. By now, he'd returned to Emerald. "Guess who I saw?" he asked with mild amusement.

"Penny Polendina," Emerald answered flatly. She did not share his sentiments.

"It really spoiled my fun over at the food table."

Emerald rolled her eyes. "I feel so bad for you," she replied sarcastically. Then, she grew serious. "You must have known she was there."

Mercury shrugged. "Didn't see her." He turned his attention to the ballroom floor. "Oh, look, she's going to talk to Sun and Pyrrha."

"You've just blown our cover," Emerald growled. "And you wonder why I hate you."

Mercury had just forced them into a position of action. If they did nothing and left, Pyrrha wouldn't stop until she found them. They'd stayed at the old warehouse for too long. It wouldn't be hard to track them down if someone knew what they were looking for, and this auction was a good place to start searching for people who did.

They needed to buy themselves time to move locations. She also wanted to further her own agenda. Since she started observing Sun, almost nothing had really come of it. Tonight was a chance to test her hypotheses; however, the thought of prematurely being thrown from observer to experimenter was disgruntling. The timing was all off. There were too many variables. Something could go terribly wrong.

"Well, what are we going to do about it?" Mercury asked.

Emerald stood and activated her semblance, disappearing from the ballroom. "We're starting the operation early."

"Oh, yay! I was getting so impatient."

"I know you did this on purpose," Emerald spat as they walked. "You pull this again, and my sickles will literally sheath themselves into your back."

Mercury held his hands up and smirked. Even now, his arrogance was infuriating. "Like I said, didn't see her."

/-/-/-/

By the time Penny had crossed the room, Pyrrha and Sun had gone to take a break. They stood by the wall, frustrated. Penny decided now was a good a time as any to introduce herself. "Pyrrha!"

Pyrrha's mouth dropped, and she turned to her with wide eyes. "Penny! Why are you here?"

Sun looked from Pyrrha to Penny and back again. "Do you know her?" His eyes narrowed. "Hey, isn't that my fur coat? And my pants?" He glowered. "You've got a lot of explaining to do!"

"My name is Penny. I'm sorry I took your clothes, but I couldn't have gotten into the auction with my uniform on. I'll return them to you as soon as this is over! Oh, but I had to give away some of your golden jewelry to enter the event."

"What?" Sun gasped.

"Penny, why did you follow me here?" Pyrrha asked.

"I was worried about you. You leave every night at the same time, and I can tell you haven't been getting much rest lately," Penny explained.

Pyrrha blinked, then exhaled heavily. "Penny, even if you were worried, you shouldn't have come here tonight."

"Mmm…" Penny thought about it. "Normally, I would agree with you. I thought you might be in trouble, but nothing's happened almost all night," she said. "But, I'm glad I here tonight. There's something I have to tell you."

"What?"

"I saw Mercury Black at the food table. I don't know a lot about him, but I don't think he's here for a good reason. I think we should leave before something bad happens."

"You saw Mercury?" Sun nearly shouted. His head whipped towards the food table. "Where'd he go?"

Pyrrha put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't draw too much attention to us." She scanned the event, then locked onto her target. "There he is… he's leaving."

"Then, we have to follow him!" Sun exclaimed.

Pyrrha stopped him. "Wait. Penny, did he see you?"

"Yes, he did," Penny answered.

"Then, he could be leading us into a trap," Pyrrha concluded.

"So, you're just going to let him go?" Sun questioned incredulously. "We've been looking for him since he escaped prison! After this, he's probably going into hiding. This might be our only chance."

Pyrrha shook her head. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Hey, I'm pretty strong, you know," Sun said indignantly. He started walking towards the door. "You coming or not?"

"Sun!" Pyrrha warned. "Think about this."

"I did. C'mon, I've got Pyrrha Nikos and a creepy stalker lady on my side. I think we can handle whatever they throw at us."

Pyrrha sighed, and followed him. "If something goes wrong, don't be afraid run."

They followed Mercury to a staircase. The same servant who'd let Penny in earlier smiled and wished them well on the way out.

"She's the one who took your jewelry," Penny told Sun.

"I know," he replied, counting all three bracelets and the necklace in his hand. "Was this all?"

"You took it back?" Penny breathed.

"Nobody steals from a thief and gets away with it," Sun said proudly. "She let me and Pyrrha into the event, too. Since you followed us, I knew it had to be her. When people think they're safe, they're the easiest targets," he snickered. He quieted, noticing Mercury at the end of the hallway. "There he is," he whispered. "Let's go."

They followed Mercury for a ways, weapons drawn just in case. At a dead end in the tunnels, he used a key to exit the Network through a hidden door, leaving his pursuers behind.

"Aw, man!" Sun huffed. "How are we going to follow him now?"

"Shh!" Pyrrha hissed. She readied her sword and shield, looking around the tunnel with narrowed eyes. "Something isn't right."

"But, there's no one else here," Sun reasoned. "I would know." His eyes glinted in the dark. "I'm a Faunus, remember?"

Penny drew her sword as well. The voices were uneasy. However, even though they waited for quite some time, nothing happened.

Pyrrha allowed herself to relax a bit, and backed away from the dead end. "We should go. Quickly."

Penny followed her, ready to be done with the Network.

Sun was about to go with them, when a scuff mark on the wall caught his eye. "Hey, was that always ther—" He screamed and dropped to the floor.

The door immediately opened and closed again, and the voices quieted. Penny sheathed her swords. "Sun!" She ran over to him and picked him up, activating her aura to see better in the dim light.

He had been slashed through the scar. He wasn't bleeding, but it looked like he was in the process of being dragged through the other world. Sun's eyes didn't move or respond to the light, and he broke into coughs that wracked his entire body.

Pyrrha ran over to them. "Sun, are you okay? Can you hear me?" She took a deep breath and swallowed.

"Pyrrha," Penny whispered. "Look!"

A dark mist seeped from the gash in Sun's scar. It liquified on his chest, spilling black droplets onto the stone floor. The mist itself diffused in the hallway. It smelled of death.

Pyrrha snapped herself out of the initial shock and grabbed a vial of Dust. She opened it, and Penny, taking that as a cue, activated her semblance. She pushed the fine powder into the open scar. The mist eventually receded, leaving a black slash across Sun's Dust scar. Sun himself was unconscious.

"We need to take him home," Pyrrha said. She knelt down and scooped Sun into her arms.

As she did so, the ground began to quake.

"Pyrrha!" Penny jumped back with Sun, and threw Pyrrha out of the way with her semblance just as the head of a King Taijitu burst through the wall.

The snake rounded on them, flicking its tongue out to consume the droplets on the floor.

Pyrrha started running to safety. "Go!"

Penny threw her sword into its neck with her semblance, but the King Taijitu contracted its muscles to prevent her from removing it. Thinking fast, Pyrrha Ignited a hole in its side. Penny regained control of her blade, and cut its throat.

The white portion of the snake slid through the decomposing mess and lunged forwards. Pyrrha dodged the attack. It crashed into the Network wall, and Penny pinned it there with Zero. She finished it off before it could break from its bonds.

As it decomposed, Pyrrha shook her head. "We shouldn't have come here… I'm afraid this is my fault, too."

Sun shivered in Penny's arms.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Side Effects


	9. Side Effects

~~AAAND START!~~ (Side Effects)

Sun awoke with a start. A violent shiver immediately consumed his body, and he buried himself underneath the furs of a bed. His movements were sluggish. Gravity may well have doubled. Slowly, the initial freeze left him, but he could still feel the cold pulsing within him.

The last thing he remembered was being in the Network with Penny and Pyrrha. They were chasing Mercury, and were unable to pursue him after he left through a hidden door. The rest was fuzzy… something on the wall? A Dust spell? It didn't explain the bed he was in or the soft furs he was under.

Slowly worming his way out of the furs just enough to look around the room, he confirmed that he had no clue where he was. The walls were comprised of stone, and the atmosphere was damp and cool. Food crates and liquor barrels were stacked around him. It was possible that Sun had never left the Network. He still seemed to be underground.

Just as he was about to slide back under the furs, he broke into a coughing fit. At that moment, the door opened, and Ren walked in with a tray of hot cider and food. He was surprised to see Sun up, but the reaction faded quickly. "How are you?"

"Cold," Sun coughed.

Ren nodded in contemplation.

"Where's Penny and Pyrrha?"

"They returned to the compound."

"Oh… What happened to me?"

"You were injured in an ambush."

Sun screwed his eyes closed. His memory was still drawing blanks. "How long ago was that?"

"Last night."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sun opened his eyes again and looked around the cellar, wrapping the furs closer to his body as he did so. "Where's Nora?"

"Bartending." Ren held up the tray of food. "Hungry?"

"Thanks… but that wouldn't end well."

Ren nodded and set the tray aside. He waited a few moments before adding, "Have you… checked your scar?"

"No, why?"

Ren gave Sun a look that made him want to see for himself.

Furrowing his brow, he pushed back enough of the furs to see his scar. A Grimm mark slashed through the red Dust mark on his chest. Sun didn't know what to make of it, but it explained a lot. His heart sank at the sight of it. "Oh."

"Pyrrha suggested we tell Neptune—"

"No!" Sun barked instantly, then coughed. "Neptune can't know. If he knew I was hurt in the Network, he'd—We just can't tell him, okay?"

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Maybe it isn't," Sun admitted. He disappeared under the furs. "But, it's better than telling him." He shivered again, and after a few beats of silence, he added, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, okay? We can figure this out without him. And, even if we can't, it's not like we didn't expect something like this to happen sooner or later."

Ren frowned. "Sun, it hurts more to lose a friend than it does to talk to them."

Sun didn't know how to answer that. He wouldn't be doing either of those things, so the statement made no sense.

Ren didn't expect him to say anything. He turned to leave, blowing out a few candles lighting the tavern cellar as he did so.

As soon as Sun was left alone, he felt the weight of everything crash into him. He had two types of marks, he felt terrible, and he could certainly use a lot of sleep before thinking about his future. Fatigue eventually sapped him of the strength to do anything but submit to a fitful slumber.

/-/-/-/

The scent of raspberry mint tea enticed Pyrrha from her slumber. At first, she turned her head away from it, trying to savor that last bit of sleep. Then, she turned back towards it, and into the warm bar of sunlight shining into her quarters. Then, she remembered everything, and flew up to a sitting position with a gasp.

"Good afternoon!" Penny greeted her. "Would you like some tea? I made two cups."

"A...Afternoon?" Pyrrha repeated, stomach dropping. She only sat down on her bed to wait for the morning call; she hadn't expected to fall asleep. Absent-mindedly accepting the tea, she noticed the blanket around her legs and realized that Penny had probably put it there. "Why didn't you wake me?" she asked.

"You looked so comfortable, and I could tell that you were very tired. You should get back in combat condition soon, or you might get sick," Penny advised her.

"Thank you, but I've fought in worse conditions."

"But not at your best," Penny returned. "Father says you should always be at your best, or you'll let everyone who's counting on you down."

Pyrrha chuckled sardonically. "I'm afraid I've already done that."

Penny puffed out her cheeks and frowned. "That's not true, Pyrrha. You helped save Sun last night, and you haven't let me down."

"But, I was the one who suggested we go to the event. It was all because of my selfish desire to find Roman. To get justice for Jaune. I should have known it couldn't be that simple… I should have done things at a reasonable pace."

"But, you did know. You told Sun not to follow Mercury, and neither of us listened to you."

Pyrrha shook her head. "There's just… so much I could have done differently." She clenched the blanket in her hands. "Then, and now."

Penny's face melted from indignance to soft sympathy. She finally felt like she understood. "Why are you so angry with yourself?"

Pyrrha's breath caught. She stared at her tea for a while. "The night Jaune died, at first, he asked me to go with him. I didn't know this, but he was going to interrogate Roman. If I could turn back time, I would have gone with him, but it's too late now. I know it's too late," she admitted, eyes welling. "When I think about him, I can see his face. I can see his smile, but I can't hear his voice as well as I used to. When I forget that, there's no one in the world who can remind me of how it sounds. I'm losing him. Piece by piece… I just wanted to make things right, but now…" Tears slid from her eyes. She wiped them away and ran a hand through her hair.

Penny sat next to her. "My mother died when I was very young," she murmured. "It was before my accident. They said that after she had me, she just didn't have the strength to keep on going anymore. She got sick, and after a while, she passed away in her sleep. I remember that night because it was the first night she felt strong enough to lift me in the air. We danced, and she sang to me, and father smiled… Then, she held me and fell asleep.

"In the morning, I couldn't get up. Her body had stiffened, and all I could think was that even though she was holding me, I didn't have a mother anymore. It was the strangest feeling!" Penny looked at her reflection in her tea without seeing it. Her eyes were dull. Time machines. "It was strange because I couldn't bring myself to cry. Then, I got to thinking that if I couldn't cry, and if I couldn't leave her, maybe I was the one who had taken her, or maybe she was trying to take me with her. Maybe she was just afraid to let go.

"I don't remember what song she sang or how her voice sounded, but, I don't think I've lost her. I think I've just grown a little. I think you're growing, too, Pyrrha. That's okay. It's okay because you're still here. People don't stop growing, even for a second. You're becoming a new you all the time, and sometimes the old you fades a little, but that's just so the new you gets to be the best it can be." Penny smiled brightly, looking Pyrrha in the eyes. "And, I think you're a wonderful person!"

Pyrrha's eyes widened. She put a hand to her mouth and choked out a sob. Tears fell into her tea, creating ripples that disrupted her reflection. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she wept.

Penny set down their cups of tea and wrapped an arm around Pyrrha's shoulders, pulling her closer. They stayed like that long enough for the sun to round from it's peak to its descent. The bars of sunlight were slowly changing location, lighting up the room with more warmth than ever.

After her tears had dried, Pyrrha sat up. "Thank you," she said, voice hoarse. "I must admit, it's embarrassing," she laughed. "I'm supposed to be training you in." Her gaze steadied. "But… I'm grateful to have met you." She managed a smirk. "Perhaps it was destiny."

Penny smiled back. "I'm glad you're feeling better." She glanced at the two cups on the floor. "I think our tea has cooled."

Pyrrha chuckled just as the lunch bells rang. "I know where we can find some more." She stood and stretched, feeling strangely refreshed. "Shall we go eat? Afterwards, I need to catch up on my paperwork."

"Oh, I already completed that for you," Penny said. "I told them you were sick today, and they handed your reports to me instead."

"All four stacks?"

"That's correct!"

Pyrrha blinked in wonder. If Penny had red eyes, Pyrrha would be certain she was a Keeper.

/-/-/-/

Raven rolled up her message and slipped it into the night pigeon's container. As it flew away, she returned to her temple room. There was no doubt that Yang was making progress through the mountains, but it would be months before her feet touched Menageran soil. Raven contemplated whether or not she should have done things differently. Things were changing. The Grimm becoming more restless. Time was stretching thin.

No point in changing course now, however. What will be will be. Casting a brine tree branch into the temple fire, she watched black smoke rise around a giant statue of herself. Under the right circumstances, the sickly white tree bore fruit similar to olives. Under every other, it crumbled at a single touch to fine powder. It was rare, and only used for religious purposes in Mistral.

When a Keeper burned the brine tree's branches, it meant that an aggressor was near. Human enemies, Grimm… did it matter which? Raven never could distinguish between the two. Mindless creatures longing for blood. Things to be destroyed eventually. Their descriptions were impossible to differentiate.

As the black smoke curled out of her temple, she noted that in Remnant, there was hardly any gray.

Raven Branwen. Keeper of Despair. Her temple was only a short distance away from Mistral's capital. It was a capital in name only, though. Mistral was divided into city states that were constantly at war with one another. The other three major kingdoms only recognized the largest of these states as "Mistral," but at times, a smaller city state successfully overthrew the capital state's government, packed the Senate full of their own, and changed international relations for the next century or two.

When Raven was younger, the capital recognized her as one of its major Keepers. Then, a neighboring city state launched a _coup_ and assassinated most of the Falls. With the king—the royal head of Senate—taken down, the new government added their own ideologies to the regime. "Mistral" became softer, and Raven fell out of favor. Though, she'd never forgotten her ties to the Falls. Cinder would not have become the queen of Vale without her assistance.

Throughout the political climate change, Raven still held her share of worshippers. There would always be fresh food in her temple, and her permanent servants—lower-ranking members of the Branwen clan—kept her quarters clean and free of loiterers, bandits, and vandals.

She preferred to be left alone, though she missed the power of an entire government bowing at her feet. Now, Raven continued her work the way all Keepers begin, and the way they all will die.

In the shadows.

/-/-/-/

After years of combat and work skirts, Ruby Rose was finally forced into a pair of pants. Sure, she wore pajama pants, but that was for sleeping. Being made to wear pants during the day was not a pleasant experience. First, she had to be fitted for the pants, which involved a lot of standing in not a lot of clothing. Next, she had to put them on. It wasn't the lack of mobility that bothered her—Atlas' clothing was known for being well-fitted and highly mobile. It was the heat. These pants were like winter coats on her legs.

It was a good thing Atlas was colder than Vale, because she felt hotter than Vacuo's deserts. Considering how much heavier every layer of Atlesian clothing was, Ruby couldn't help but wonder what the temperatures were really like.

Requiring pants for important events was one thing, but taking away her cloak was another. No one had power over the cloak. No one. It was always there, and it always would be. Weiss had chewed her out for that, but it was useless.

In Atlas, the higher a person's status, the more elaborate their coat. The coat was the top layer of the outfit, kind of like a badge. Sure, it was hard to put a coat over a cloak, but it could be done. Until it couldn't. Ruby woke up one day, and the servants had locked her cloak in a metal box. It was then she realized that even if she was partnered with Weiss' branch of the SDC, she didn't have control over most things.

It was like seasickness. For the first twenty-four hours on the boat to Atlas, Ruby couldn't do anything but lay down and hope death didn't take her then and there. The SDC's will was almost as unavoidable, but exponentially more unpleasant. After all, Ruby had acquired her sea legs by now. Even if she wore their pants, she would never have legs enough for the SDC.

To add to all this, when they arrived in Atlas, they would be welcomed with an elaborate ball. Ruby had never learned to dance, though Yang had once tried to teach her how. Ruby just wasn't good at it, and eventually gave up, much to Yang's dismay. That was a long time ago. Not much had changed since then.

"Watch it, you dolt! You're supposed to be following my lead," Weiss snapped. She was smart enough to wear close-toed shoes for their second session together.

"Why can't I lead?"

Weiss exhaled dramatically. "How many times do I have to tell you that you only have enough status to lead with commoners?"

"But, I'm your partner."

"If we're going to dance as equals, you're going have to prove yourself in Atlas first."

Ruby groaned. "Why are there so many rules?"

Weiss signaled for the musicians to stop. She stepped away, judging Ruby. "Stop it. Don't forget that you asked to be here. Part of travelling is learning other cultures, you know. This is my culture, and whether you like it or not, you need to abide by it on this trip. I've spent years in Vale, but you don't see me running around acting like some miscreant!"

Ruby pursed her lips. In a way, Weiss had a point. Even if Weiss had acted like a terrible person in Vale, she was pretty well-adjusted to the culture.

Yang always used to say that the hardest part of traveling was looking at things through another's lens, but once she got the hang of it, it was fun. Even the most mundane things became new and exciting.

Sighing, Ruby extended a hand, hating herself for admitting that Weiss was right. "Fine. Let's do this again."

Weiss snapped her fingers, and the music started from the beginning. She looked pleased. "This time, try not to rush."

/-/-/-/

Emerald and Mercury stood in Sun's house. He wasn't there, of course. That was the problem. If it weren't for the King Taijitu, they would have been able to follow Penny, Pyrrha, and Sun to their hideout. Now, they had no idea where he was. They could guess, but they didn't have the liberty to search openly. Sun's guard would be up.

Emerald scowled at herself in a mirror. Mercury adjusted his bangs next to her, turning his head this way and that, then eventually smirking in satisfaction.

Based on the immediate effects of Emerald's cut to Sun's chest, her thoughts about him housing the Archdemon were correct. Now, she needed to force his transformation. The faster the better.

"Where should we look next? Do you think he climbed a tree?" Mercury joked.

"We should check the castle."

Mercury shrugged. "Sounds fun. And, if we find him?"

"We need to kill him."

"I can't say I hate the sound of that, but do you really want Cinder to return? Aren't you enjoying your freedom?"

"What are you talking about?" Emerald cut. "She took all my freedom with her."

Mercury raised an eyebrow. "If you need grief counseling, I know a guy."

"I don't want to hear it."

"Alright, calm down, Little Raven. Don't get your feathers in a ruffle."

Emerald drew a sickle on him, red eyes almost feral. "Shut. Up."

Mercury laughed at her.

/-/-/-/

 _From the darkness within his chest, a monstrous voice said:_

 _High moon in the fields_

 _Red eyes, red eyes, red eyes glow_

 _White teeth, white teeth show._

Sun shivered in his own sweat, regretting his nap. A series of nightmares replayed themselves, then faded from his memory. Him sitting in a chair, a dark room, something breathing on his neck. Something on his head.

Nora had brought him more furs, but it only seemed to make the cold worse. To add to that, it seemed that his Grimm mark was spreading, but he was still holding onto some hope that it was just his imagination.

If it wasn't, he didn't know what he'd do. He couldn't put Dust on it. It wasn't an open wound. He didn't want to risk opening it, either.

"High moon in the fields…" he chattered, shivering incessantly. "What fields? It's like I'm going crazy." When Ren and Nora weren't around, he often spoke to himself to affirm that he was still alive, not an icicle with a mind and a tail.

Sometimes, he believed it.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Atlas


	10. Atlas

~~AAAND START!~~ (Atlas)

Atlas was built into its landscape. Long ago, the settlers decided that instead of building on the giant ice caps and between the mountains, it would be best to build inside of them. Of the four kingdoms, it was the most isolated from the Grimm, but its unforgiving climate kept its population from rising above the others. Even within the ice, temperatures could drop below negative thirty degrees. Luckily, the lower capacity for wind made it more bearable.

Atlas was also the rune capital of the world. Desperation to combat the cold led to great discoveries, and a booming Dust market. The Schnee Dust company dominated this market so completely that they provided nine out of ten jobs directly handling Dust. Royalty did not exist in Atlas after their revolution, but if it did, the Schnees would be very near to it.

After the boat had docked, Weiss' party continued down the main road to the city's gate, located in the center of Mount Atlas. Prior to the revolution, the kingdom of Atlas was known as Mantle. As the government reformed, the kingdom took the name of the mountain it was built in as a representation of unmoving strength.

Atlas is still referred to as a kingdom, but that isn't precisely true. Political parties, known as families and prone to nepotism, were elected every ten years. The head of the family was called the king or queen. Since a single family almost never held two terms in a row, business and politics were now more closely linked than ever before, and blood feuds weren't uncommon.

The Schnees were, due to their ability to fund campaigns and cut off Dust from their enemies, everyone's friends. Unsurprisingly, Jacques Schnee had been an advisor to the last four ruling families. Therefore, when Weiss saw the scale of the reception committee waiting for them inside the city gates, she wasn't surprised in the least. Ruby, however…

"Wow, look at all the people here!" she marveled. Her cheeks were red, and she looked a little cold, even though it was the warm season in Atlas. "Where's our welcoming committee?"

Weiss' jaw dropped. She'd spent the last hour briefing Ruby on what to expect and how to act. Clearly, none of it had sunk in. "Were you listening to anything I said?" She thrust out a hand, gesturing to the huge crowd slowly growing louder and they approached. "This is our welcoming committee!"

"I listened and you said large crowd, not entire city!" Ruby looked shell-shocked, and they hadn't even started interacting with anyone yet. She reached for where her cloak would have been. Upon remembering that it wasn't there, she stopped walking. "Uh, Weiss, can I skip the whole introductions thing?"

"Don't be shy, just do as I told you and everything will be fine," Weiss reassured her.

"But, what if I forgot everything you told me to say?"

Weiss turned around. "Then, remember it!" she barked. When she saw Ruby's face, her irritation somewhat thawed. She remembered the first time she was in Vale. Unused to the warmer climate, she was sweating oceans in her business attire and practicing her lines outside the guard commander's room. "Hello Commander Ozpin, my name is Weiss Schnee. As an heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, I'd like to propose an offer." When she met the commander, her voice faded on the "Hello" and she had to restart. It was humiliating, but it worked out in the end. Commander Ozpin had accepted the SDC as the guard's Dust provider on the condition that Weiss joined the guard herself.

Ruby was raised as a commoner, and in Vale, even high-profile figures weren't treated in such a high-profile way. Ruby was never an extrovert to begin with, though she was one of the loudest people Weiss knew, second only to her sister. It was natural that she might feel nervous in the face of all this.

Weiss took a deep breath, and released the tension from her shoulders. She tried to smile reassuringly, though she wasn't sure if that helped or hurt the situation. She dropped the smile and cut to the chase. "Just… take a deep breath. If you're unsure of what to say, remember that I'm be here to help."

Now, Ruby looked more confused than nervous. "Uh… thanks, Weiss." They continued walking.

The crowd, which was now cheering excitedly, quieted completely when Jacques raised a hand.

"I count my blessings upon returning to my kingdom," he announced. "And, I happily reassume my honor."

They did not cheer, but rather, an old man in a black coat stepped from them and approached with a distant smile on his face. The ruling family's honor-bringer. He briefly took Jacques' right hand and touched it to his own forehead.

"A man of high honor and fiery will," he rasped. "We welcome your return."

Jacques dipped his head and stepped back. Weiss and Ruby stepped forwards next.

"I am humbled that my path has led me home after so long," Weiss said. "And, I bring my honor with me."

"All who gather here would like to know what you have done while you were away," the old man said. "So as to know your what your honor has become."

"I plead that all who hear me listen well so that I might judged," Weiss began. "I assumed the rank of region captain in Vale's guard, I have established my father's company as the guard's sole Dust provider, I fought in Vale's recent rebellion, and I have come to take up a branch of my father's company."

The honor-bringer nodded and looked her up and down. "It is clear you have grown your honor since this city last heard your voice, but enlighten all who listen here, are you a witch as the rumors say?"

"All who listen here should know I am not," Weiss answered smoothly.

The honor-bringer touched Weiss' right hand to his forehead. "A young woman of good honor and her father's will. We welcome your return."

Weiss dipped her head

Now, it was Ruby's turn. Despite feeling as if she'd been Frozen, she was beginning to sweat.

"All who listen would like to know. Who are you, girl? The rumors say witch; all say stranger. Why have you come to Atlas?"

"Uh… My name is Ruby Rose. I'm not a witch, but… you're right about the stranger part."

Weiss realized in that moment that this was going to be a rocky ride.

The honor-bringer raised an eyebrow.

"With your... appeasement, I ask that you, uh…" Ruby's eyes lit up as she remembered what she was supposed to say. "I ask to get—err, receive fresh honor."

"Yes… Ruby Rose, your name preceded you. Where does your honor begin?"

"I'm the guard's rune master, and I'm also Weiss' business partner. Oh, and I helped in the rebellion." She paused. "Thank you for listening," she stumbled, unsure of the format.

This was within Weiss' predictions of what might happen, and it wasn't the worst-case scenario, but it was still torturous to sit through.

"Hmm." The honor-bringer touched Ruby's right hand to his chilly forehead. "A girl with decent honor moved by strong emotion. We welcome you."

Ruby nodded, sighing in relief, then stepped back.

The honor-bringer approached the ship's crew and their attendants, doing a similar ritual for them. For commoners, it was far more simplistic. At the end, the honor-bringer bowed. "Goddess watch us all!"

The crowd cheered, and everyone more or less dispersed. Weiss's group continued towards the Schnee manor, where a homecoming ball would be held. The roads were not built for any method of transportation other than walking or human-pulled carts, so it would be a while until they reached home. Weiss wrapped her white coat closer to her body. It had been so long since she'd felt the cold air of Atlas. Her body was having a hard time remembering how to keep warm. She'd gotten soft in Vale.

"That wasn't so bad," Ruby said more to herself than anyone else.

"It definitely could have gone worse," Weiss replied. "But it certainly didn't go well. The honor-bringer said you're unpolished and ruled by your emotions. Even if that's accurate, you're going to have a hard time changing people's impressions."

Ruby shrugged. "Well, if people want to know what I'm really like, they should just get to know me."

It was a sentiment straight from Vale.

/-/-/-/

The second part of the trial, as Ruby had come to regard the day, was the ball. It was held in the Schnee manor, which was four stories high, and took up sixteen times the space of Roses's Runes, Weiss's Dust shop, and their house combined. It was carved in stone and embedded with precious metals. To top it all off, it was laid out like a giant snowflake in the center of the city. Any external window came with a breathtaking view of the frozen city. The only buildings higher in altitude were, marginally, the church and, by far enough, the castle.

Weiss' brief history taught Ruby that houses like these were the exact reason why the revolution had happened. The rich and royalty had carved up virtually all of the mountain, and because of the expanding population, much of the city was haphazardly dug into the surrounding ice. The ice was dense and at least thousands of years old, so at first, everything was fine. But, when companies started mining for Dust and using it regularly, the ice's structural integrity degraded to a point where entire settlements were wiped out in collapses.

The crown did nothing to stop the unsafe business practices. So began the revolution.

Weiss did not mention the Schnee manor as an example of history, though it was around before the revolution. Ruby smirked at that.

The ballroom itself was elaborate, well-lit by fashionable torches and chandeliers. Expensive, white gold-plated statues of Grimm were placed in pockets of the walls, and an ensemble with metal glockenspiels and bone flutes played alongside stringed instruments imported from Vale. Ruby recognized some of the string players from the boat ride over. Tables of food lined the back. Decadent seafood and tantalizing desserts were piled up on five-tier racks. Of course, Ruby made a beeline for the snacks before anything else.

Fruit she'd never seen before and desserts she'd never tried before were stacked in such great quantities that she wondered if anyone would notice if she took five plates of each new thing.

"Ah, perhaps Madame Rose is enjoying herself?" the chef asked politely. He was around the table to answer questions about the quality and preparation of the food.

Ruby turned to answer him, mouth stuffed full of delicious cactus cocoa from Vacuo. "This is amazing!" she nearly cried.

"Consider the staff pleased."

"This must have taken forever to make. What's the white stuff on it? Can you put it in cookies?"

The chef blinked. "You do not know of coconut?"

"Chocolate nuts? I thought they were beans…" Ruby's eyes narrowed. "Brown beans…"

The chef smiled and shook his head. "Madame Rose has a different thing in mind."

A woman walked over in a decorative white coat. High status. "Madame Rose?"

"H-Huh?" Ruby turned to meet her. The chef bowed and walked away from them both. Ruby was sad to watch him go, but didn't want to be rude to the woman, so she listened.

"You hail from Vale, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then perhaps you will know what I speak of. Come, come if you will." The woman pulled Ruby over to a small crowd and began discussing nautical terms Ruby had never heard in her life. When asked to answer clarifying questions about the ships in Vale, she had no idea how to answer. Finally, a question about runes surfaced, which she answered with relief.

When the conversation ended, Ruby wanted to head back to the snack table, but the dance music started, and she was pulled onto the floor by a young man in his twenties. "I realize it is bold of me to ask, but Madame Rose brings me honor by accepting this offer."

He wore a plain white coat, and Ruby remembered Weiss telling her to lead with people with less decorative coats than her own. She twirled him once, then another partner dipped in. An older man with a more decorative coat. Ruby followed.

Luckily, Weiss had drilled the basics into her head well enough to execute the moves with some stiffness. After the first song, the routine of switching partners and roles started to hurt her head.

Eventually, she was spun around, and one of the women from her earlier discussion appeared. She was expected to follow, and took up the role with a minor stumble. "How do you fare on the seas of Atlas?"

"I got seasick when I boarded the boat," Ruby admitted, too tired to catch the metaphor.

"Ah, how honest," the woman laughed. "But, the storm shall break shortly, no?" As she said that, the music stopped, they bowed to each other, and the woman walked away with another ripple of laughter.

Ruby stumbled back to her cactus cocoa.

/-/-/-/

Weiss stood near her father with a glass of red wine. She watched Ruby dance with mild satisfaction. All those hours had paid off. "I had the pleasure of dancing with Madame Schnee's partner," a woman from the shipping industry greeted her.

"I hope you've enjoyed your evening thus far," Weiss said.

"I have," the woman laughed.

"Formalities aside," Weiss continued, allowing them room to be blunt. "How is the shipping industry?"

"Smooth sailing." The woman brought the subject back to Ruby. "Your partner is—how do they say this in Vale—cute, no?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Ah, pardon me. I meant no offense. Perhaps I used the term wrong." The woman accepted a glass of red wine from a waiter. "I simply mean she is rather clumsy and ill-informed in most things, yet she is really quite charming as well. How did you two make acquaintances?" She laughed. "Are you perhaps more than so? It is common for Schnees to be this way with their rune masters, no?"

Weiss pursed her lips. Vale had shortened her patience for it Atlas' indirect, gossip-focused small talk. "If you have come to accuse me of an affair, I suggest you remember whose ball you are at."

"How blunt," the woman laughed. "Please, Madame, I truly meant no offense. I was only making conversation. Ah, there she is. Madame Rose!" she called.

Ruby, who had been eating cactus cocoa and was now searching for a bathroom, walked over to them. She looked tired and uncomfortable on many levels.

"Surely you remember me?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Ruby answered with more manners than the woman deserved. "We danced."

"Yes!" the woman clapped. "Now, tell me, are you and Madame Schnee—"

"That's enough. If you want to sell scandals on the high seas, you'd do well to look somewhere else," Weiss hissed. "And the next time you insult either my family or Ruby, you will be fined for a break in social standing. For now, you will see yourself home."

The woman finished her red wine and bowed. "I apologize for my rudeness. Au revoir."

"She has rank, but no honor," Weiss spat at her retreating form. "One of many." There were countless people like her roaming around at Schnee events, trying to get a leg up on the company.

"What happened?"

"Nothing worth explaining."

"Oh…" Ruby gave her a funny look.

"What?"

She snapped out of it. "Nothing. Hey, where's the bathroom? Those cactus cocoa bars are so not my friends."

"Can't you wait until after your speech?"

"I dunno, Weiss, do you want to save the speech or the pants?"

"Exit through that door and take an immediate right."

Ruby was gone in an instant.

A familiar laugh put her on edge a moment later. "You didn't mention you were so fond of her in your letters, Sister."

"Whitley," Weiss said flatly.

"Greetings, Weiss. How was Vale? Warm?"

"Not unbearably so."

Whitely nodded. "Of course not." He smiled. "So, what made you want to partner up? A break in tradition is rare for us Schnees."

"What else? I saw profit in it."

"Then, I'm sure father is pleased."

Weiss felt a frown tug at her lips. "Yes, I'm sure he is." She changed the subject. "How is Mother?"

"Mm, the same." Whitley took a bite of salmon from the plate in his hand. "The seafood is delectable this evening. From just off the coast of the continent."

"Speaking of the sea—" a subject Weiss had enough of that night "—where are you planning on setting your branch?"

"The mines of Vacuo sound promising as ever, wouldn't you agree? But, for now, I think I'll stay in Atlas for a while. It's been so long since I've seen my big sister."

Weiss nodded, but was suspicious. Whitley had stayed at home longer than she or Winter did. What was holding him back? Was he sick again, or just plotting something?

"You don't trust me?" he pouted, then added, "you've acclimated well to Vale, but now that you've returned, you're so easy to read." He giggled. A ghost-like sound. "I'm looking forward to learning about your new branch tomorrow. Shall we have lunch?"

"Assuming my schedule is still free by the end of the night."

"We both know how Father can be," Whitley smiled.

"Yes, we do." Weiss took a sip of wine and looked towards the musicians. They were playing a piece she hadn't heard before.

"And, if luck may have it, you'll bring your rune master?"

"That's up to her," Weiss said frostily, returning her gaze to him.

"Well, then please pass on my open invitation. The southern courtyard at twelfth bell." He stopped. "Oh, they only recognize four times of day in Vale, don't they? Well, at midday, then." He gave his plate to a waiter, bowed, and walked towards the dance floor. Another round of dancing was about to begin. "Goodbye, Sister. See you soon."

By now, Ruby was walking back into the ballroom, looking refreshed. When the music started again, Ruby groaned and avoided the dancers as much as possible.

Weiss watched her find a spot next to the infused water bowls, then went to reconnect with her father. He would want to introduce her to some new business partners before the speech.

/-/-/-/

Late that night, after the ball, Ruby was escorted to a giant bedroom across the hall from Weiss'. It was bigger than her living room at home, and had an attached washroom. She was about to say the only thing missing was food, but then she found a fuzzy thing on her desk labeled "coconut." It had been cut in half, then placed back together. When she pulled it open, she found it was filled with dark chocolate coconut cookies. They were gone in seconds. Afterwards, Ruby noticed a note on the back side of the coconut label.

 _Madame Rose_

 _The coconut grows on trees in some regions of Menagerie. It can be used to make a variety of products such as milk, water, and oil. The staff mainly use its shredded meat for garnish._

 _This coconut has been hollowed out to be used as a cookie jar. The staff noted Madame Rose enjoys chocolate, and used dark chocolate instead of cactus cocoa so as to be more suited to her palate._

 _If the Madame has more questions, please visit the staff or the second floor's east library._

Ruby smiled and put the note inside the coconut. A sealed letter sat to the right of the it, so she picked it up. It was from Weiss about lunch with her brother. Ruby didn't even know Weiss had a brother. She skimmed it, then fell back onto the luscious bed. It was so soft, she nearly drowned in it. She thought it welcome respite.

Thinking back over her day, her mind wandered towards Yang and Blake. How were they doing? Where were they? Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen a single Faunus in Atlas thus far. In Vale, there was always at least one in any large public area. She wondered about Atlas' position on the Faunus. Didn't the White Fang have their headquarters here? Maybe she would ask Weiss about it later.

Thoughts like these carried Ruby to sleep.

/-/-/-/

The fields outside of Vale were difficult to farm for the inexperienced. Over time, most newcomers were discouraged. The higher probability of Grimm attacks meant that an unwary farmer could lose an entire pig pen or corn field in a single night. The farmers who really succeeded out there knew how to fight and had generations of experience to draw from.

On nights when the Grimm raided the fields, they worked flawlessly with the guards to protect their investments.

But some nights, there were just too many of them.

Tonight was one of those nights.

A seemingly relentless wave of Beowolves destroyed at least three settlements and took the lives of many more. All that night, howls terrorized the fields.

 _Red eyes, red eyes, red eyes glow_

 _White teeth, white teeth show._

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Blood and Bond


	11. Blood and Bond

~~AAAND START!~~ (Blood and Bond)

The southern courtyard overlooked the commerce district of Atlas. For being completely devoid of sunlight, it was surprisingly well-lit and populated. Careers could be made from the lighting business. The government had an entire committee to manage it.

The courtyard itself was decorated with ice sculpted into plants and fountains. In its center, a table sat in a small trench. Each end of the table was butted up against the trench wall, and on the sides, fur blankets were laid down for sitting. The table was mounted on a stone slab with Burn plates installed on each side of it, and separated from the furs by stone latticework.

Burn heaters were common features in Atlas, but whenever Ruby saw one, she felt like she was seeing one for the first time. She often thought about asking for their blueprints.

She sat next to Weiss, with Whitley on the other side of the table. Servants brought them hot goat pepper soup.

"You must be Ruby Rose," Whitley smiled. "I'm glad to finally be able to meet you."

His affect made Ruby uncomfortable, but she grinned back awkwardly. "Um… It's nice to meet you too." She took a bite of soup. The savory goat fell apart in her mouth. "The soup is—" Her mouth nearly lit on fire seconds after she swallowed. "Spicy?" she coughed.

Whitley laughed. "Atlas is full of surprises. Has Weiss told you much about me?"

"Whitley," Weiss warned. "Aren't we here to discuss business?"

He bowed his head a degree in acknowledgement, still amused. "Of course, Sister."

They dove into an analysis of projected sales, shipment routes, and political climates. How much the siblings knew was actually kind of incredible.

When they were finished, Whitley turned his attention back to Ruby. "Has she met Mother yet?" he asked.

"We'll be visiting her after lunch," Weiss replied, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. The soup's spice didn't faze her a bit.

"She does keep odd hours…"

"Yes, she does." Weiss stood. "Which is why we should be going."

Whitley stood as well. "I understand. I'll be leaving to inspect a mine in Onus later this evening, so I might not see you again for some time."

Weiss nodded. "Be safe on your travels."

"Of course," he smiled, adjusting his coat. It was somewhat simpler than Weiss'. "Goodbye, Ruby."

Ruby waved as he left. "Bye!" When he was gone, she turned to Weiss. "Why didn't you tell me you had a brother?"

"It was never important." Weiss sighed. "I know what you're thinking, but you can't trust him."

"Why? He seemed pretty nice, and he's your brother."

Weiss folded her arms. "The relationship you have with Yang has never been possible for me. Whitely will only use you to get ahead."

"What about Winter?" Ruby asked. Weiss had mentioned her sister a few times, but not in a favorable light.

"She's even worse," Weiss answered bitterly.

"Oh…" Ruby walked out of the elaborate courtyard with her, seeing it with new eyes. It seemed bigger. Emptier. "Weiss?"

"What?"

"Your mom… what is she like?"

"She's the best rune master on Remnant," Weiss answered shortly.

"Do you like her?"

"I suppose."  
"Are you close?"

"No. We're not." Weiss narrowed her eyes. "How many more questions are you going to ask me?"

Ruby frowned. "I'm just trying to get to know you. What's so wrong with that?"

"You're being nosy."

"Ugh, forget it," Ruby groaned. "This is why we—" She stopped. "Nevermind," she muttered.

"This is why we what?" Weiss glared.

"Forget it. It doesn't matter."

"No, I want to know. This is why we what, Ruby?"

"This is why we can't be friends," Ruby completed guiltily.

Weiss stopped. Her jaw clenched. "You've don't have to be my friend."

Ruby thought she saw a glimmer of vulnerability in Weiss' icy blue eyes.

They walked the rest of the way to her mother's study in silence.

/-/-/-/

Merin Schnee's study was located on the first floor. When she opened the door to it, the first thing Ruby thought was that Weiss was quite a bit shorter than her mother. Her next thought was that she was meeting the best rune master on the planet, and she suddenly didn't know what to do with herself.

"Weiss. You've returned." Merin's distant tone highlighted the bags under her eyes.

"Hello, Mother."

"Is this your rune master?"

"Yes. This is Ruby Rose."

"H—Hello! It's an honor to meet you," Ruby strained.

Merin watched her for a moment. The only thing that seemed to move on her face were her eyebrows. They were raised. Slightly. "Why are you two here?" she asked, taking a sip of tea from the cup in her hand.

"I'd like your approval."

Merin bent down to look Ruby in the eyes. Even if she moved slowly, it was still startling. "Come inside," she said after some time of appraisal, then turned and walked into her workshop. "Weiss, have you continued with your singing?" she inquired absently.

"I practice when I have the time."

"You sing?" Ruby gasped.

"She sings well," Merin answered.

Weiss' cheeks pinkened. "Thank you, Mother."

Merin took another sip of her tea. She pulled a large book from a well-organized shelf and handed it to Ruby. "Look through this."

When Ruby took hold of it, she nearly dropped it. It was heavier than expected. "What's in it?" Upon opening to the first page, her jaw dropped. Each pair of pages was dedicated to analyzing a single Dust spell. There were translations of it into different ancient languages, a runic analysis, and an in-depth spell description on each page. She flipped through the book. "I had no idea there were so many spells!"

"Do you notice anything about them?"

Ruby turned another page. "A lot of these do the same thing… and… the ones we use most are translated into more than one ancient language. Why is that?"

"A word must exist in many forms to hold meaning to many people," Merin responded, drinking more tea.

"But… What does that mean?"

Merin refilled her cup from a nearby teapot. "I approve."

Weiss stood. "Thank you, Mother," she said for the second time. "Let's go, Ruby."

"But, wait, what about my question?"

"There's no time for that."

"What? But—"

"Ruby!" Weiss warned quietly. "She isn't well."

"Huh?" Ruby glanced at Merin, who had her back turned to them.

"When you leave… close the door," Merin told them.

"Yes, Mother," Weiss said louder. She herded Ruby out of the workshop and sighed when the door closed.

"Your mom isn't well… Do you mean she's sick?" Ruby asked.

Weiss crossed an arm in front of her and looked away. "No… I mean she's insane."

/-/-/-/

Ruby fell back onto her plush bed with a groan. "Nothing here makes sense," she whined. She wished Yang was here so they could talk. If she wrote a letter now, it could be months until she got a response. Adventurers were notoriously difficult to track down whilst traveling.

Ever since Ruby first arrived in Atlas, her visit had been a disaster. She'd screwed up in front of a city's worth of people when she first entered the kingdom. She'd embarrassed herself during her speech at the ball. Weiss was being Weiss again, and everyone she thought wasn't too bad or less confusing than the other citizens apparently wasn't trustworthy enough.

How could she possibly keep everything straight? It was all so exhausting. Besides being socially awkward, which she had learned to live with over the years, she just felt like she was constantly in the dark. What was the deal with Weiss' family? People acted like she belonged to Weiss. It's like she wasn't even a person!

What could she do? She hated the feeling of being strung around, but no one cared about how she felt. It was only the second day, and she wanted to go home.

As she tossed about on the bed, a rather conspicuous coconut caught her eye.

Before she knew it, she was off towards the kitchens.

/-/-/-/

Weiss exited the meeting room on the third floor. Dinner had been served at the six-hour long military meeting. She was asked to provide details on Vale's guard and army, but she avoided saying anything useful. As long as she was a region captain, her loyalty was to them. Deflecting roundabout questions took a toll on her. The food hadn't been enough to combat the mental exhaustion.

Her stamina for Atlas' political practices had dropped from being in Vale… but she was beginning to think she was better off without them. It was useless, going around in circles when everyone knew the journey would end where it started.

A servant approached her in the hallway. "Is the Madame retiring for the evening?" he asked.

"Yes, I am."

"Then, she should be accompanied. If, of course, the Madame would like to know information about her next meeting along the way."

"I would."

They walked down the hallway, and as a way of easing into the conversation, the servant said, "Madame Rose is in the kitchens this evening. She is quite the helpful girl, is she not?"

"She's where?" Weiss started, already veering towards the stairwell.

It was then the servant realized he'd made a mistake. "The Madame needn't get worked up!"

But Weiss had already started down the stairs.

/-/-/-/

It had started out innocently enough. The staff had cleared off some counter space, and Ruby sat to watch them. Occasionally, she would ask questions about the food or tools they used. Whenever they finished a dish, they presented her with a sample. Upon discovering that strawberries were the best food on Remnant, she was given a mixing bowl full of them. Unsurprisingly, that bowl did not last long, and Ruby had to move on to the next thing.

She began talking with the chefs. At first, they were apprehensive. Ruby remembered Weiss telling her to say "formalities aside" when she wanted to have a normal conversation. As soon as she did that, things became a lot warmer. She was given more samples, and she even got to spice a dish for the librarians herself. The staff assured her the dish had "impeccable character," and set it aside "to study for use in later recipes." Ruby was proud of that one.

Eventually, as she was telling them stories about Vale, an extra knife made its way to her counter space. She had taken to standing by this point. Soon, a cutting board followed. Finally, a bowl of Frozen peppers from Vale appeared. She canceled the Freeze spell and pulled a ripe one from the bowl, inspired by the work around her. She was just beginning to talk about the time at Beacon when a Boarbatusk wandered into the bathhouse and stole Yang's boot while she was soaking in the hot springs.

Ruby's knife grazed the flesh of the pepper, slitting it open. Then, the blade slipped and she cut herself.

The staff gave her a bandage. Feeling responsible, they showed her how to cut the peppers the proper way.

Ruby managed to finish her story before her next injury. "Stupid twig blade," she muttered, but she wouldn't give up on her task. When it came to things like this, however, she had never been known for patience.

A chef had started to tell her about the time she bought the wrong kind of onion, and everyone at a birthday party cried. During the highlight of the story, she and the entire kitchen staff screamed in horror. Ruby had unfolded Crescent Rose in the kitchen. Ten seconds later, the bowl of peppers was perfectly sliced.

It took the staff much longer than ten seconds to calm down.

Once they did, they managed to find a lot more items that needed cutting.

Ruby eventually found herself in front of a hanging pig, a crate of tomatoes, and seventeen loaves of bread. She wound her scythe back, surveying the food with a smirk on her face. The staff crowded around her, ready to see her in action.

"And… go!" Ruby exclaimed, lunging. She sliced the bread, peeled the tomatoes then cut them in half for seeding, and butchered the pig according to a diagram she'd been given. The process took her just minutes.

The staff applauded fervently.

"I'm really, really cool," Ruby said to herself. Her mood had improved exponentially from earlier… only to be shot down seconds later.

"Ruby!" Weiss screeched from the doorway. A tomato peel had landed in her hair. She threw it aside. "What do you think you're doing?"

The staff zoomed back to their positions.

"Oh, hey, Weiss," Ruby said less-than-enthusiastically. "What brings you here?"

"You!"

Ruby looked around. "Want some bread?"

"No, I don't," Weiss frowned. "Why are you bothering the kitchen staff?"

"I'm not bothering them. I'm helping."

"That's not your job!"

"But, I wanted to. You said I could do whatever I want with my free time."

Weiss pulled her out of the room. "Were you and Yang raised by a pack of Beowolves? I can't even imagine what the rest of your family is like!"

That struck a dissonant chord. Ruby scowled. "Well, you don't have to, Weiss," she shot. "The rest of my family is dead!"

Weiss froze. "What?"

"It's just Yang and me, and maybe if you actually took the time to get to know me, you would know that! But, you don't. All you do is yell at me, and it's so annoying! Can't you just leave me alone for two seconds?"

"Ruby, I—"  
"Don't apologize! I know you're not sorry." Ruby folded Crescent Rose. "I can't even have fun anymore," she muttered, disappearing down the hallway.

Weiss watched her go, but couldn't bring herself to follow her.

/-/-/-/

Weiss shifted a coffee tray she borrowed from the kitchen staff into one hand, then knocked on Ruby's door.

"Go away," Ruby hollered.

"Ruby, It's me."

"I know. Go away."

"Ruby, please. It's important."

Ruby groaned, but a few seconds later, she opened the door. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk… about earlier this evening."

"Why?"

Weiss blinked in surprise. "B—Because I thought—" She stopped. Took a breath. "I'm sorry. About more than just what I said earlier. Can we talk? Please?"

Ruby looked her up and down, then opened the door wider and stepped aside. "Come on in, Weiss."

Shifting the coffee tray back into both hands, Weiss entered the bedroom. After depositing the tray onto the table, she offered Ruby a cup of decaf. "Cream and two sugars, right?"

Ruby nodded and accepted it, curling up on an armchair as she did so.

Weiss sat down with her own drink. She stared at it for a moment. It occurred to her that she wasn't very good at things like this. That said, she didn't have a choice at the moment… If only she knew what to do.

" _This is why we can't be friends."_

Maybe.

"The coffee's good," Ruby said quietly.

Weiss looked at her.

Ruby's silver eyes were fixated on the window. Eighth bell rang.

On an impulse, Weiss began, "My… mother went insane shortly after I was born. No one blamed me, but I remember being told not to visit her. They said Winter and I made her condition worse..." She lost her train of thought for a moment. "When Whitley was born, he was very weak. He wasn't allowed out of his room for years. In my family, my siblings and I were raised to be rivals. The most successful branch of the company will inherit it when my father retires. Everything we do is for the betterment of our family name." She didn't know what she was getting at or where she was going. That irritated her. She clenched her cup handle. "I apologize for not giving you the chance you deserved, even when you asked for it. And, from now on, I'll try… to be more open with you."

Ruby nodded. Her eyes were on the table now. "I don't want to be on bad terms with you, Weiss. I think we work together really well. Even if we don't get along at all. But, maybe that can change." She furrowed her brow in thought. "Maybe we just got off to a really, really bad start. I keep blaming you for things I don't know if you can control. I guess I'm not giving you a chance, either." Ruby shrugged and exhaled heavily. "I dunno, Weiss. Maybe we'll never… Maybe this'll never work."

"I don't think that's something we need to worry about," Weiss replied.

They shared a look.

"Well, you told me about your family. I guess I should tell you about mine," Ruby declared suddenly.

"I didn't tell you about myself to trade information."

"I know." Ruby managed a smile. Her gaze grew distant. "Both of my parents were adventurers, too. They died on a quest. After that, our uncle Qrow took Yang and I in. He taught me everything I know about runes, but I think the stress of raising us got to him. When I was eight, he drank himself to death." She paused. "I used to blame myself, but it didn't change a thing. None of it was anyone's fault… Yang's still angry with him, though." She let a breath of laughter escape. "She's always been a really great sister. When he died, she put everything she had into raising me. I hope that one day, I can repay all the things she's done for me."

Weiss felt her old demons gnaw at her again. Sending Yang to the dungeons. The witch trial… She searched for the right words. There weren't any. She stood. "Tomorrow, we'll be meeting with the king. You should get some rest. We'll need to get up early."

She paused at the door. "Goodnight, Ruby. And, thank you."

/-/-/-/

Weiss lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. There was no way what just happened could have been called an articulate, well-planned conversation… So, why did it mean so much to her? Why did she suddenly feel so much lighter? Why had she shared so much? She'd never been allowed to share anything with anyone before. She wasn't sure if she'd even wanted to.

One thing had become increasingly clear over the last two days: the person known as Weiss Schnee now was not the same one who left for Vale all those years ago.

Weiss Schnee. Who was that? Herself, obviously. But…

When she left for Vale, she thought all her hard work would mean something. Not like it didn't, she just thought…

Nothing had changed! In all this time, her father hadn't changed. Atlas hadn't changed. Names were different, times were different, but nothing else had changed. She still didn't have a voice. She still had to prove herself. If she hadn't proven herself by now, how could she ever manage the task? It used to be such a simple concept, but everything felt like a lie.

So what if she had honor? She still couldn't leave for Vale without her father telling her to. Her father still treated her like a puppet. The crazy thing was that she'd accomplished more than half the people who were judging her.

Everything felt so upside-down. So twisted.

Weiss tried to sleep, but ended up becoming more awake instead.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Monkey Seer Monkey Do


	12. Monkey Seer Monkey Do

~~AAAND START!~~ (Monkey Seer Monkey Do)

Sun was tired of being cold. And weak. And haunted. Every second of the day, he felt like he was about to freeze. He was getting desperate. Activating his aura provided temporary relief, but he couldn't keep it going for very long. Alcohol distracted him, but it eventually made him feel even worse. He abandoned that idea altogether.

Nora and Ren fed him when he was feeling up to it, and they tried what they could to warm him up. Nora got frustrated one day and came into the cellar with a bucket of ice, raving about how there was nothing to do but try the exact opposite of warming him up. Thankfully, Ren talked her down from that one.

Sun was grateful to them for their unwavering care. At night, Nora would tell him stories to distract him. Ren would make him banana-themed dishes. Nora would get upset along with him, Ren would calm them both down and strengthen their resolve.

But, things were getting to be too much.

In a weak moment, rationality left the picture, and Sun put his hand in the small fire Ren had built for him. He burned his hand, and somehow felt more frozen than ever.

Now, he was wondering if he had just gone about it wrong and was about to try again. Before he could muster up the energy to do so, reason prevailed. Instead, he put his head towards more permanent solutions.

Pyrrha came to visit with Penny at times. They told him what happened that night in the Network in more detail than Ren had provided. Apparently, they'd stopped the spread of the Grimm mark with Dust.

By now, Sun had admitted to himself that the mark was, indeed, spreading. It was safe to guess that that was the reason for the cold as well. So, theoretically, if he could put Dust on the Grimm scar, it would stop growing. But, again, it wasn't an open wound.

Sun groaned, then coughed. Back to square one. He needed to think fast. The cold was unbearable.

Well, was it really square one? The black spot was in his Dust scar for a while, yet it had never spread. So… if he could get his Dust scar back around his Grimm mark, he'd be in the clear!

His Grimm mark spread in the first place because he was cut somehow, so, obviously, the Dust scar would work the same way.

Sun looked around frantically. Where was a knife when he needed one? He'd had one at breakfast, but Nora took it away with the tray. Not to be deterred, he saw an empty glass jar on the back wall, and went for it.

Squirming out of the blankets until he could crawl on his stomach, he edged his way towards the jars. After an eternity, he made it. The real problem now was standing up to get his prize. With great difficulty, he rose to his knees. After taking some time to get his bearings, he made it to his feet using the stone wall and shelves. Finally, he sighed in happiness as he grasped the empty jar. His legs gave out a second later, and he fell to the ground with it. It shattered upon contact. That made his job easier, but the fall hurt more than he thought it would. His aura fixed what it could of that.

"Okay," he huffed. "Let's do this."

Grabbing the largest piece of glass he could find, he scanned his scars for the best place to start.

Then, he lowered the shard.

/-/-/-/

Sun bounded up the cellar steps and into the tavern. "Ren! Nora! I'm hot!"

A nearby drunkard gave him a double take. "Yes, you are," they winked.

Perturbed, Sun laughed awkwardly and backed away from the counter.

"Sun! What are you doing up here?" Nora exclaimed. "I thought you couldn't move!" She narrowed her eyes. "Are you an imposter?"

"No, it's me," Sun grinned. "I fixed my scar!" He showed her the red-rimmed Grimm Scar. "I'm not cold anymore! Actually, I'm kinda hot. I think I'm sweating!" He lifted an arm to check. "Yeah, I'm totally sweating. This is great!"

Nora cheered. "I don't know how you did that, and I don't care!" She slapped him on the back. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? Ren!" she called. "Get this man something to eat! Ooh, I know just the thing to celebrate!" She pulled a green orb from under the bar counter and smashed it open whilst screaming, "Watermelon!"

Sun smiled and took a chunk of the watermelon. "Thanks! You know, I've been thinking. You guys have done a lot to help me out, and I'm super grateful to you both. Truth is, I still feel pretty tired, so I was wondering if maybe you'd let me work here until I've recovered enough to go home? No payment necessary, just room and board."

Ren appeared with steak marinated in banana sauce. Sun nearly inhaled the dish.

"What skills do you bring to the table?" Nora inquired, pretending to scrutinize him. "Do you know anything about alcohol? Or food?" Her eyes narrowed. "Or life?"

"I can't really cook or anything, but I can clean," Sun said, stuffing his face full of food. "My family used to work at a mansion in Vacuo. I washed the windows and dishes and stuff." He thought more about it. "I can sweep, too."

"Well, I hate cleaning!" Nora exclaimed. "So, welcome aboard, Sun! We're happy to have you."

"Thanks! So, when do I start?"

"As soon as you're done with that steak," Nora answered readily.

"Oh, uh, okay."

/-/-/-/

This weekly meeting was quieter than the rest. Neptune could feel unease in the air. In an unorthodox display of urgency, the guard representative spoke first.

"Your Grace, we've lost six settlements on the southern edge of the city since the Grimm attacks began. Thirty-three citizens in various parts of the city have been killed, and in a recent unexpected attack, seventeen were injured. Intelligence's investigation concludes that the rise in Grimm activity is not the result of an external human or Faunus force. As such, we request an increase in funding to protect the citizens. The guard will begin recruiting immediately upon your approval. All extra funding will be used towards the accumulation of Dust and Dust-related tools. Commander Ozpin has already devised a plan of defense that, upon your approval, shall be used to address the most afflicted areas."

"The increase in funding is approved." Neptune had already set aside the funds for it. "I will speak with Commander Ozpin later this evening. The guard may begin recruiting after we've agreed on a plan."

"Thank you, Your Grace. I will inform the commander immediately."

As soon as she sat down, the army representative, her twin brother sitting next to her, cleared his throat. She flashed him a look of mortification, but he paid no mind and continued anyway. "I find it strange," he said, "that as soon witches are granted rights, our kingdom gets terrorized by demons. How do we know the Grimm weren't summoned?"

"There is no evidence to suggest that aura has any part in the increase," his sister rushed. "Might I remind everyone at this briefing that these events happen naturally over time in all four kingdoms?"

"We know that, but it makes sense to wonder why they occur so we can prevent them from happening again," her brother hissed.

His sister twisted away from him and gave her full attention to Neptune. Everyone else refused to get involved.

Neptune swallowed most of his anger. "I've told everyone here before—aura poses no threat to Vale. If you want to accuse all aura users of treason again, you should be prepared to lose your position. I will do everything I can to save our kingdom from the Grimm, but I will not throw innocent people in the dungeon to do so. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Your Grace," the army representative muttered. "But, what about the aura users who escaped from the dungeon already? What if they're the cause?"

"I've never seen an aura capable of summoning Grimm before, and I don't think I ever will. However, I do want Roman and Mercury apprehended as soon as possible. They belong in the dungeon."

"Both the guard and Intelligence are dedicated to bringing the two in," the guard representative said before her brother could continue the conversation.

Neptune nodded. Silence followed.

Finally, someone cleared their throat, and the briefing continued.

/-/-/-/

 _A clock tower rings_

 _Twelve wings beat closer, closer_

 _Red eyes, bells, talons_

Sun was tired of waking up from nightmares. Even after he'd fixed his scar and the initial heat wave from it went away, the mysterious dreams continued to visit him. Rolling out of bed, he splashed his face with cold water from a bowl beside his bed. Since he couldn't stop the dreams, he figured he should at least try to start getting used to them. That was harder than it sounded—they always took him by surprise. He shook his hair free of water droplets and put on his shirt.

What had started as a nice white button-up had slowly become a tattered, stained mess. Nora made him wear an apron instead of the shirt yesterday. For work today, she'd given him a shopping list for the market. Sun mentally added a new shirt to the top of it. He hated aprons. People stared too much when he wore them. Sure, he liked attention, but there was something greasy about the stares of drunks.

Sun slipped out of the tavern before he could be spotted and made his way to a market he didn't visit very often. Less chances of being bothered by the guards that way. He popped into the first clothing shop he saw.

"Hello, how can I help you?" a worker asked politely.

"Hey, man, I'm just looking for a new shirt that's kind of like this one, but not stained."

The worker looked at him with some disdain. "Alright. I have some choices from our finest collection that would be perfect for you."

"Okay, but I don't need anything fancy."

"Got it." He gave Sun a button-up that was identical to the one he wore in every way except for the fabric. It was stiffer and heavier.

"Uh… is there one that's lighter?"

"The only lighter materials on the market are imported from Vacuo."

"Well, that makes sense. I bought this one from a Vacuo merchant." Sun actually stole it, but the worker didn't need to know that.

"I can show you some Vacuo-inspired trends we've imported for the season if you want."

"Sure."

Nodding, the worker herded him into a dressing room and brought him some options. A stuffy tunic no one in Vacuo would ever wear, a sweater people would only wear at night, and a t-shirt that was too tight to breathe in and so sheer that its status as clothing was debatable. The bleak options reminded him of the suffocating suits he had to wear when he worked with his parents. There was no way he'd ever wear anything like that again.

Sun sighed. "Do you have anything comfortable? More casual?"

After thinking for a moment, the worker brought him a pull-over vest. It was made of surprisingly breathable fabric, wasn't too closely fit for comfort, and had a rather spacious collar he could leave open if he wanted to. The best part was, it hid his scar. It also had a hood and pockets. Deciding he liked it, Sun dropped nearly an arm and a leg for it, then left feeling blind-sided.

Shopping for Nora's tools took until well after midday. The items on the list were so obscure or unclear, that Sun had gotten, "Sorry, you want a what?" more than once. To add to that, the questionable sketch beside some of the listings almost always made things worse. By the time Sun figured out what everything meant, he'd learned more about brews than he thought there was to learn. Nora always made it seem so effortless. Sun had never taken things like acidity into account. As far as he knew, that was something that only mattered with lemons and oranges.

As he was leaving with his bags, he overheard a conversation from a couple guards stationed outside of the market.

"How many casualties in that Nevermore attack?"

"Four guards and six civilians."

The first guard to speak shook his head gravely. "Keep this up and there won't be anybody left to defend the kingdom or anybody left to defend."

"As long as Mistral's our ally, I don't think we'll ever have to worry about that."

"I have a cousin in Mistral. It's not going easy over there, either."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. It's like after those Beowolves attacked the fields, all hell broke loose."

The second guard gave him a look. "It's not that bad. Vale's stronger than a few loose Beowolves."

"Something about this one feels special. Got my bones all tingly. They only do that when it rains or when the Grimm are coming, I tell you. We're in for it."

"You're either a cynic or senile."

"Ah, shut up and stand your post."

Both guards sank into a somewhat disagreeable silence.

Sun was shocked. Had he heard it correctly? Beowolves attacked the fields? When? He walked up to the two. "When did the attack happen?"

The second guard answered him. "The Nevermores attacked a bell towers at midday. Don't know if they were drawn by the sound or what…" He eyed Sun's bags. "You must have been shopping for your employer or something. Maybe you should pick up some copies of the Grimm report. New one's coming out this evening."

"Thanks, but I meant the Beowolf attack."

"What, do you live under a rock?" the first guard scolded. "When these things happen, you should pay attention."

"Hey, I've been sick!" Sun retorted.

"Ah, whatever. Get yourself a Grimm report. Here, I'll even give you yesterday's copy." The guard scribbled the details of the Nevermore attack on the bottom of the report and handed it to Sun, nicely folded. "Run along now, monkey."

Sun reluctantly thanked the two for their help and left. Finding a place nearby to read the Grimm report, he set down his bags and looked through it. His jaw dropped. The timing, the attacking Grimm, the locations… they all matched his dreams!

Sun couldn't get back to the tavern fast enough.

/-/-/-/

Mercury yawned as Emerald looked over a few papers. Intelligence had posted watch at their last hideout. Now, they stayed wherever it was safe for the night. Sometimes that was a shed they broke into, others it was an inn with ties to the Network. They were currently staying in a barn partially destroyed by the now famous Beowolf attack. "What would you do if he doesn't turn into the Archdemon?" Mercury asked lazily. He'd found a patch of sunlight in the rafters and climbed up to lay in it.

"What do you mean? He will."

"Will he? Sun's not exactly depressed. Don't you think he'd turn into Dust before a Grimm?"

Emerald narrowed her eyes at her papers. "You almost sound concerned."

"I'm not."

"Then stop talking about it."

Mercury frowned. "Do you love Cinder?"

Emerald's look grew distant. "No…"

"No?"

"No."

"Then why all this?"

"Why all the questions?"

"You don't give a lot of answers."

"Well, in that case, maybe you should stop asking." Emerald dropped the papers. Sun was staying with Ren and Nora. Their tavern had recently been ordering more bananas than usual. Given the circumstances, it could hardly be a coincidence.

Mercury watched her leave, then turned to take a nap.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Illusionary Future


	13. Illusionary Future

~~AAAND START!~~ (Illusionary Future)

Neptune had always liked Ozpin's office. It had an open feel to it, but there were so many books that he could see himself spending weeks paging through them. It was rare that the king went to visit people, but if Neptune could get out of the castle and closer to these books, he was happy to make the unorthodox trek.

Things were getting tense with both the council and the briefing representatives. Neptune could see that spark of doubt in their looks whenever a new Grimm attack was reported. The spark that said Neptune was one of their top suspects for the rise.

Neptune exhaled in frustration. He'd saved everyone from Cinder, hadn't he?

"Your Majesty," Commander Ozpin greeted. He had just entered with a stack of papers. The details of his plan, no doubt. "Thank you for meeting me here. It is an honor to have you."

Neptune stepped away from the books. "Hello, Commander." He took a seat at Ozpin's desk. "You may begin whenever you're ready."

Ozpin set his papers down, took a drink of coffee from the lukewarm mug on his desk, then picked up a map from the top of the pile. The way he laid it out on his desk suggested both urgency and suspense. "May I speak openly?"

"Yes, you may."

"Good. There are some things better said as they are thought."

Neptune shrugged and nodded. Military plans usually weren't on that list.

"When I first began researching, I was unaware of what I might discover. Much of what I did find seems out of my scope of reason. I believe you will put my findings to better use than my limited knowledge of aura and the Grimm allows." Ozpin looked Neptune in the eyes. "The truth is, I have no plan."

"H—Huh?"

"I have looked over every increase in Grimm activity since the creation of the kingdom, and I have concluded that you, King Neptune, are the only person capable of coming up with a suitable plan of defense."

"What? Why? You're the guard's commander. Shouldn't you know what to do more than me?"

"This concerns far more than the guard." Ozpin took another drink of coffee, then took a few board game pieces from his pocket. They were silver and blue, from an old classic often enjoyed by Neptune's council members. "Are you familiar with the increase in Grimm twenty-five years ago?" Ozpin asked, placing a few blue pieces about the older map of Vale.

"My father used to talk about it… But, why are you bringing that up now?"

Ozpin glanced at Neptune, but didn't answer his question. It was clear he was going to take his time with this. "The pieces I just placed are the parts of the city that were under construction at the time of the increase." He put down a few more blue pieces. "And these represent industrial endeavors outside of the kingdom walls. Now, let's say these silver pieces represent the Grimm. The first large-scale Grimm attack took place here," Ozpin said, putting the small silver piece next to the industrial base furthest from the city walls. "Soon after, more reports were submitted almost exactly in this order." He placed down more silver pieces next to the blue ones, drawing closer and closer to the city until they reached the inside. "After the increase, these were the only projects of advancement left in Vale."

With one sweep of his hand, Ozpin took away all the blue and silver pieces except for a blue one closest to the center of the city. "Naturally, the Grimm were gone as well." Ozpin studied Neptune's face before continuing. "The current increase in Grimm is almost identical to the one twenty-five years ago. The only difference is that now, I believe we are better equipped to combat it. This situation requires more care than I trust myself alone to give." He met Neptune's eyes with a sort of quiet power. "You do understand what I'm saying, don't you?"

"I can't say I do… If you're trying to tell me something, why not just say it?"

Ozpin's lips formed a thin line. "I don't want my opinions on the matter getting in the way," he answered simply. Gathering the stack of papers together again and slipping the game pieces back into his pocket, he sat down in his chair. "I want you to take the materials I've gathered for you and come up with a solution on your own. If you ask for advice, ask your friends, and when you're sure you've created the best plan you can think of, the armed forces of the kingdom will be at your disposal."

Neptune frowned. "I think I understand that this is something important that my experience with aura somehow prepares me for, but you're being way too cryptic here. I don't have time to read through an entire stack of papers and come up with a plan in a night or two. I know I'm the king and everything, but there's only one of me and most of my friends are out of the kingdom. Actually, me being king is the whole reason why I don't have time for this. Can't you just… talk to me without all the extra stuff?"

Ozpin shook his head slowly. "I'm not doing this because it's convenient, I'm doing this because it's necessary. If Vale is to survive this coming increase, we need to break free from the blind tradition we hold on to. In a way, I've already said too much on the matter. If you have absolutely no idea on how to continue, my advice is always available, but as I've made clear, this is something the kingdom requires you do by yourself."

"Yeah, well, what is the matter?" Neptune demanded exasperatedly. It took him a while to realize that was a stupid question, and he closed his mouth and turned away. "Fine. My father trusted you, so I guess I trust you, too. I'll give this whole research and planning thing a shot, but if I can't do it, I'll find someone else who can."

Ozpin nodded. "Very well."

"Okay… but, what about in the meantime? Before I come up with this big plan, we need to keep our people protected."

"As the guard's commander, that is a task I assume full responsibility for."

/-/-/-/

Raven received word by night pigeon that Emerald and Mercury were gathering information about Sun. While their motives were unknown, a Grimm attack collapsed a tunnel in the Network during an auction all three were attending. The other Keepers seemed to view the three as Raven's problem. She was indifferent to their snide comments suggesting she allowed the Archdemon to resurface, but the fact remained that the problem needed to be solved.

Of course, Raven had no intention of solving it the way she had been advised to. Instead, she viewed that as Yang's problem, and set about thinking of ways to buy them both time. It occurred to her that she could easily kill Emerald and Mercury, ending the ambiguous situation before it evolved into a catastrophe, but she couldn't use two corpses. Her semblance was creating contracts, not necromancy.

The fact of the matter was, she needed an informant in Vale. Someone connected who could send word to her about what was happening both in the kingdom and to Sun. The other Keepers got the notion that they were doing her a favor every time they shared a minute detail with her. Raven hated even the thought of owing people.

Mercury was more rogue than anything, but Emerald… her loyalty made her the perfect candidate. Raven knew that with some persuasion, she would make a useful informant. If Emerald couldn't be persuaded, however, Raven had no choice but to settle the matter with blood. She couldn't have her threatening the delicate balance existing between the Archdemon and its host.

Opening a portal, Raven stepped through the Void and into the streets of Vale. Finding her target wouldn't be hard. All she had to do was find Sun. Like the Grimm who feed on their prey and die with them, Emerald would always be nearby.

Raven used another portal to enter the cellar of the tavern, deciding it was the area least likely to be inhabited when everyone else was asleep.

She was wrong.

Emerald, Mercury, and Sun were in the middle of a standoff. Sun in his pajamas, Emerald with a poison-tipped sickle to his throat, and Mercury off to the side watching the scene with great interest. There was a hint of blood on his boots.

"Raven, glad you could make it," he greeted. "You're just in time for the main event."

"Raven!" Emerald gasped, then narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Sun, seeing his chance, attempted to escape death.

Emerald instantly changed her sickle into chain-scythe form, and launched it at him. Raven frowned and lunged forwards, hitting the weapon out of the way. It swung in a wide arc, passing Emerald and slashing Mercury on the cheek. Startled, he held a hand to the scratch, then dropped to the ground in a fit of convulsions.

Raven watched him blankly.

Sun closed the door and locked them in the cellar, yelling for Ren and Nora to wake up.

"Emerald, we should go," Raven said.

Mercury was beginning to spit out pink foam. Emerald watched, unsure of what to do. Suddenly snapping out of it, she dropped a vial of antidote next to him, then turned to Raven. If Sun's friends showed up, there was no telling what might happen. She needed to go. Now.

Raven glanced at Mercury one last time, wondering if it would be better to kill him. Deciding against it, she opened a portal back to Mistral. Emerald walked through it first, her red, Faunus eyes glinting in the low light.

Raven followed, and the portal closed.

/-/-/-/

Neptune wasn't sure what time it was. He hadn't looked up from his papers for a while, and he couldn't tell if the sun was setting or rising. After staring at the stack for quite some time when he'd returned to the castle, Neptune had cancelled the rest of his obligations for the day in order to study it. Time managed to slip away from him some time after the second candle.

His findings more or less mirrored Ozpin's. Every once in a while, the Grimm would rise up and attack places of industry or extreme poverty or general unhappiness and instability, starting with areas furthest from the kingdom walls and moving in at a steady rate. The issue was what to do about it. That's why Neptune had spent so much time perusing the documents laid out before him.

Each increase over the years had been handled in exactly the same way. The guard would defend the kingdom as best it could, but the increases would get to a point where not even the added strength of the army guaranteed the survival of the citizens. Neptune had already known his history, but after Ozpin's words, he had started to realize the futility of everything.

He didn't expect a permanent fix, but there wasn't even a surefire way to combat the Grimm once their numbers increased enough. How could he possibly ensure the kingdom's safety? Even if he unlocked the guard's auras, there was almost a guarantee that the social and experiential ramifications of that would outweigh the benefits. It was almost safe to say that aura was out of the question… or was it?

If the Grimm attacks right now were mostly happening outside of the kingdom… what if he sent Pyrrha's region to a site where they could attempt to eliminate the Grimm in an isolated setting. If they could figure out the sources of the increase, everything could still be saved. In the meantime, Neptune would have to trust Ozpin.

Yawning, Neptune thought over his new idea one more time. That's right. If playing defense meant everyone died, he'd just play offense! His new idea filled him with inspiration, and he jumped up from the table, knocking over a glass of water in the process. Neptune didn't notice it; the lack of sleep dulled his senses.

Running out of his room, he met a guard and a soldier running towards him.

"Your Majesty! Important news!" the guard rushed.

Neptune nodded. "I know. Vale is going to war with the Grimm."

The soldier blinked. "What."

"Dude, you heard me," Neptune began. Then, realizing how he must sound at the moment, he cleared his throat and tried again. "I'm declaring war on the Grimm. Call the general to the war room now."

The two officials looked at each other, their eyes wide.

"King Neptune, are you okay? You look like you need sleep," the guard said.

"Just go!" Neptune told him. "I'm fine."

The soldier turned to go call for the general, still in a daze.

"We—uh… We captured Mercury Black," the guard told him some time later.

"Really?"

"Yes. And, as it happens, Emerald Sustrai may not actually be dead."

Neptune eyed him. "How does that just 'happen'?"

The guard shrugged. "We're investigating that, Your Majesty." He furrowed his brow. "May I ask how you intend to wage war on monsters?"

Suddenly realizing how tired he was, Neptune slowly walked towards the war room, trying his best to look dignified. "Once the general and I approve a plan of action, you can investigate that, too," he riposted. It was slowly occurring to him that Vale's future depended on him. As his father's son and the kingdom's ruler, he had to forge a new path. Anything to keep Vale from losing an entire generation.

Everyone who doubted him would just have to take a step back.

/-/-/-/

Emerald never thought she'd see a temple again. It was still dusk in Mistral, and the giant statue of Raven basking in the last rays of sunlight made her on edge. Nauseous, even.

Once Raven herself stepped through the portal, Emerald remembered her rage. "Why would you do something like that? I was this close to—"

"To what?" Raven inquired almost indifferently.

"To bringing back Cinder!" Emerald nearly screamed. She never could say she liked Raven, but now she could certainly say she hated her.

Raven smirked. "You would release the Moon Slayer for that girl?"

"I would do anything, and I would have already succeeded if it weren't for you!"

Raven gave a small shake of her head. "Cinder was consumed by the Archdemon. The fact of the matter is, her soul doesn't exist anymore. That Grimm might maintain some of her traits the next time it incarnates, but she is gone forever." Her hand rested on her sword as she walked in front of her statue, gazing at it contemplatively. "If she had turned into any other Grimm, I wouldn't be able to say that. You could think of it as the Archdemon remembering its host. And, in time, all things forget."

"You're wrong," Emerald snarled.

"You're desperate," Raven returned. She looked back at Emerald. "You've denied yourself for too long. You've lost it completely, and now the only thing that you felt validated your existence is gone. You're afraid. Like a terrified child."

Emerald turned and started walking out of the temple.

"We're not done talking," Raven called.

"Yes, we are," Emerald shot back.

A couple of lower-level Branwens stepped from the shadows to detain her. "Master Raven, do you wish to allow our cousin to leave?"

"No, I want her to stay here. Take her to an empty room," Raven said.

Growling, Emerald activated her aura. Before she could use her semblance, one of the servants shocked her with their own aura. The next thing she knew, her body was helplessly limp, and she was being dragged to the living quarters against her will.

/-/-/-/

Pyrrha awoke to news she'd almost given up on hearing. The guard had detained Mercury. It was also suspected that Emerald was still alive somehow, but it was unclear as to how. Much to her surprise, Pyrrha was allowed to interrogate Mercury about the issue and also about Jaune's murder. Knowing that she could finally ask all the questions she had almost made peace with never knowing the answers to made her feel as though a burden had been lifted from her shoulders, yet she also felt chained to the past as well. It was like reopening an old wound. All the feelings she thought she'd gotten past came rushing back at full force.

After the interrogation, she was to report directly to Neptune for a new assignment. She didn't know what the assignment would entail, but it was of the utmost secrecy for now. For being under such a high level of classification, it entailed a surprising amount of people. Somehow, Pyrrha's entire region was involved. Perhaps they found out about the auction, and suspected her region of corruption? The entire situation made her uneasy.

Slipping on a coat, she packed up her things at the office, then headed to the castle. To her surprise, Penny met her there.

"Hello, Lieutenant!" she saluted cheerfully. "Ready to question Mr. Black?"

"I wasn't aware that you were assigned to interrogate him with me," Pyrrha said, surprised.

"I wasn't, but when I heard you were going in there alone, I asked to join you."

"Why?"

"I was worried about you," Penny replied simply. She was still smiling, but she gasped a second later. "Oh, but I'm not suggesting that you couldn't do this alone. I just wanted to be there in case something goes wrong."

Pyrrha raised her eyebrows. "Oh," she managed. Having people worry about her still wasn't something she was used to. Part of her wanted to insist she didn't need Penny to be concerned about her, but another part was rather flattered. Either way, there was no use turning Penny away; she was surprisingly persistent. "Should we go, then, Sub-Lieutenant Polendina?" she said at last.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Penny grinned.

Mercury was in terrible condition when they saw him. The most he could do was blink—most of his organs and muscles had been severely damaged by the poison. Whatever Emerald had planned for Sun would have left nothing but a puree-filled shell.

Pyrrha grimaced when she saw him. He had been drugged to the point where reality was well past subjective, though he did respond to outside stimulus. His entire body was constantly both relaxing and straining, his half-lidded eyes seemed to stare into another world.

"Mercury, can you hear me?" she asked tentatively.

He blinked.

Letting out a quiet breath, Pyrrha steeled herself. "I'm going to ask you some questions. Blink once for yes, and twice for no. I've been advised to tell you that if you don't comply, you will be cut off from your medication for a day. If that happens, you may die of either withdrawal or complications relating to your injuries. Do you understand?"

With great effort, Mercury rolled his eyes.

"Is that a yes?"

He looked at her with overly wide eyes, then blinked and looked to the opposite wall.

Pyrrha nodded. "Then, let's start from the beginning. Did Emerald Sustrai fake her own death?"

Mercury blinked.

"Did she help you escape from prison?"

Mercury blinked twice.

"Did Roman Torchwick help you escape from prison?"

Mercury blinked.

Pyrrha swallowed and took a breath. "Did you kill Jaune Arc?"

Mercury blinked twice.

"Did Roman kill him?"

He blinked once.

"Do you know where Roman is?"

Once.

"Is he in Vale?"

Twice.

"Is he in any of the other three kingdoms?"

Twice.

"So, he is in hiding outside the four kingdoms?"

Twice.

Pyrrha stopped. He had to be toying with her. Like Jaune's death hadn't done that enough. Anger flared within her, but she quelled it with a deep breath. "You need to tell me the truth."

Mercury looked at her, eyes glinting. If he could, he would have smirked.

"Do you know where Roman Torchwick is?"

After a long pause, Mercury blinked once. Then, he blinked twice.

Looking at his snide face, Pyrrha's anger welled up again. He claimed to know where Roman was, and yet he purposefully withheld that information. Jaune's killer was out there somewhere, and this smug-looking pair of eyes was the only thing keeping Pyrrha from claiming the one form of closure she never got. Physical force wouldn't get her anywhere, either. Mercury couldn't feel any pain. All she could do was play this frustrating game.

Penny, who had been standing near the door, came and put a hand on her shoulder. She smiled, but her eyes were serious. "I think he might be telling the truth," she said.

Mercury's eyes widened a fraction of an inch.

"Do you mind if I ask him a few questions?"

Pyrrha couldn't bring herself to vocalize a coherent response, but let Penny do as she pleased.

"Is Roman on Remnant?" Penny inquired.

Mercury repeated his triple blink from before.

Penny furrowed her brow. "Is Roman physically on Remnant?"

Pyrrha turned to look at her, perplexed.

Much to her surprise, Mercury blinked only once.

"Is Roman's soul on Remnant?"

Mercury blinked twice.

"Mr. Black… is Roman dead?"

One blink.

"Did you kill him?" Penny gasped.

One blink.

Pyrrha felt sick. Her quest for justice was futile from the beginning.

"Do you know where Emerald is?" Penny asked.

Two blinks.

"Are either you or Emerald responsible for anyone else's deaths after the rebellion?" Pyrrha demanded.

Mercury rolled his eyes again, then blinked once.

"Oobleck and Port?"

He blinked once.

Pyrrha inhaled sharply. "Was it you or Emerald?" After waiting for a response, she realized the flaw in her question and asked again. "Was it you?"

Two blinks.  
"So, it was Emerald."

One, slow blink.

Pyrrha wanted to scream "Why?" but that wasn't something that could be solved with either one or two blinks. She wanted to know why they were after Sun, too, but that was impossible to convey for the same reasons. They had to figure out the rest on their own. Abruptly turning around, she stalked towards the door. "There's nothing more to learn here," she said lowly.

Penny thanked Mercury for his time before following her outside.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Old Friends and Moving Forwards


	14. Old Friends and Moving Forwards

~~AAAND START!~~ (Old Friends and Moving Forwards)

Neptune had invited Pyrrha into the war room, but he kind of wished she'd never show up. He was starting to question all the decisions he'd made in the last twelve hours. Was he doing the right thing? He couldn't clearly remember how he'd gotten to his conclusions, but he had a feeling he wasn't wrong. Unless Pyrrha's region faced the Grimm head-on, history would repeat itself. Still, an entire region? Declaring war? Was this really the best course of action? He needed sleep and a long time and think this over to know for sure. Unfortunately, he didn't have a long time. He had almost no time at all.

The general seemed okay with changing plans later, and nothing was public yet. Neptune could always call this off or alter something. That… didn't really make him feel any better about it, though. Groaning, he flopped over on his desk. After some time spent wondering whether or not his forehead would bruise from hitting the wood, he groaned again.

When Pyrrha knocked at the door, he jumped up and went to open it, forgetting his place as king. No king opened the door for a mere soldier. Pyrrha was his friend, though, so Neptune figured it was okay. Penny was with her. Even if Neptune didn't know Penny very well, he'd heard good things about her, so he thought she was pretty cool.

"Hey, ladies," Neptune said, trying to sound casual. "Forget the formalities, and make yourselves at home."

"Oh, thank you," Pyrrha replied before taking a seat.

Penny bowed. "Hello, Your Majesty. I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Penny."

"Yeah, I know who you are." Neptune sat across from both of them. "So… you probably want to know why you're here."

Pyrrha nodded and smiled. "That would be nice."

"Okay, so—and just hear me out on this, alright? Vale's going to war with the Grimm."

"I didn't know that was possible," Penny exclaimed. A moment later, she asked, "How is that possible?"

"Like I said, hear me out," Neptune continued. "I've been researching the previous increases, and I don't think the Grimm are only attracted the despair and darkness. There has to be something else they're after. Things just don't line up. They attack areas of progress as well, like industrial centers. I know I said we'll be going to war, but I really just want your region to go out to one of these high-risk areas to figure out what's going on."

Pyrrha creased her brow. "Would I be correct in assuming that the fact that I have aura plays a role in which region you send?"

"Yeah, that's pretty correct. You'll be bringing a different lens to the situation, or maybe you'll be able to sense something. I'm just hoping that we can learn what the Grimm are after so we can predict where they're going. If we somehow knew where they were going to strike, that would be a lot easier."

"I see…"

"I was hoping you guys could set out either by tonight or tomorrow morning."

Pyrrha looked up suddenly, her gaze serious. "Is this an order?"

"The general and I planned it like that, yeah. Why?"

"I oppose bringing my entire region. That many soldiers in an area would likely disturb the Grimm even more, and I want to risk as few lives as possible. If you're sending us to gather information, a task force sounds more efficient and less costly."

"But, Pyrrha, there'll be a lot of Grimm out there. More than just a few people will be able to handle. You've never seen an increase before, but they get really bad really quickly," Neptune said.

Pyrrha exhaled, thinking it over.

Penny looked between her and Neptune for a while, then leaned forwards a bit to speak. "What if we only send people with aura? Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and myself. We're much better at fighting than your average soldier. I'm confident that we could all do what is asked of us, and if we need help, then we can just ask for it."

"Five of you against all those Grimm? Dude, that sounds so risky. More than risky. Don't you know you could die out there?" Neptune demanded.

"I side with Penny on this," Pyrrha said. "It may be riskier, but it would also be more rewarding. If we avoid the operating structure of the army, we can grasp a better understanding of civilian life and why the Grimm are attacking that area."

"Yeah, but at what cost?"

"If we bring an entire region into the fray, it will cost a lot more."

Neptune frowned. "I know what you're saying, but are you sure it will work?"

"We won't know until we try," Pyrrha replied.

"Okay… okay, fine," Neptune said, finally caving. He was never sure about his first plan, anyway. At least this one involved less lives to lose. Even if he'd rather lose an entire region of people than his few close friends, he also trusted his friends more than an entire region of people. And, if this didn't work, then he could send in soldiers and get them out of there. "Talk to Ren and Nora about this. If they agree, you guys can go, but as soon as you're overwhelmed, you call for backup, okay? You're my friends. I don't want anything to happen to you. And also, since you're not going as part of the army, there's only so much authority you have where you're going."

Pyrrha nodded. "I understand. Where are we going?"

Neptune grinned. "Mountain Glenn. I'm sure you guys have heard of it."

Penny grinned back. "That sounds exciting!"

/-/-/-/

Sun could still feel Emerald's blade on his neck. He was getting ready for bed, and had lain down when she and Mercury literally appeared out of nowhere and tried to cut him. They just appeared! Sun couldn't even fight back. Knowing that could have been the end of it all… He didn't fear death, but he didn't want to go down like that.

Nora nudged him. "Sun? I think that spot is clean now."

Sun realized he'd been rubbing the same spot with a rag for the last two minutes. "Oh, sorry. I zoned out."

"Maybe zone into that messy table over there?" Nora suggested, but her tone was understanding. "You can always take a break, too. But then no pay for a week!" she laughed diabolically.

As soon as she said that, Penny and Pyrrha entered the tavern in their normal street clothes.

"Hello," Pyrrha greeted.

Penny waved. "Hi!"

"Hey, guys," Sun smiled.

"Penny!" Nora exclaimed, zooming over to hug her. For some reason, Penny seemed to be one of her favorite people.

"Are you busy?" Pyrrha asked.

"We have a lot to talk to you about today," Penny added.

"Ren!" Nora hollered.

Ren appeared a few seconds later.

"Let's clear the customers!"

The customers, hearing her over their own thoughts, groaned and, for the most part, walked out on their own.

Once they had settled around a table, Pyrrha relayed what Mercury had said—or blinked—earlier.

"Yeah, good luck finding Emerald," Sun scoffed. "She left through a portal! She could be anywhere!"

"Well, what about the woman she was with?" Nora demanded.

"I've never seen her before in my life."

"What did she look like? You have to have seen something."

"Okay… this is going to sound weird, but she kind of looked like Yang when she's mad, but older and with black hair. She also had more jewelry," Sun noted. "Seemed like expensive tribal stuff, but I don't know where it's from."

"It was Yang's twin!" Nora gasped.

Sun's eyes widened. "Yang has a twin?"

Nora shrugged. "Maybe."

"I know who you're talking about," Penny said, shocking them all. "The queen sent her to unlock my aura. She said her name was Raven, and that she was from Mistral. She was very nice!"

"What do you mean 'nice'? She's on their side!" Sun huffed.

"She made me feel a lot better, so she can't be all bad," Penny reasoned.

"Yeah, but now, you can't feel at all," Sun retorted.

"Hold on. Sun, you said Raven had red eyes… And she's from Mistral?" Pyrrha asked slowly.

Sun and Penny confirmed that.

Pyrrha brought a hand to her mouth. "Oh, my…"

Sun's tail bristled. "What?"

"The woman we're looking for is Raven Branwen. The Keeper of Despair."

"Ooh, sounds scary," Nora said, excited. "What does it mean?"

"She's one of the most well-known Keepers in Mistral," Pyrrha explained.

"Yeah, but what's a Keeper?" Sun asked.

"They're the deities in Mistral. In exchange for the people's cooperation they provide protection from the Grimm among other services. They are believed to be the descendants of the Goddess. Raven was the official Keeper of Mistral when the Falls were in power, but that was before I was born. No one knows what she's been doing for a long time. If Raven saved you, I don't think you're in any more danger from Emerald, but there's no way of knowing for sure."

"Why would she want anything to do with me? And, what are we supposed to do now?"

"I'm not sure," Pyrrha admitted. "It could have something to do with your Grimm scar. But, searching for Emerald will be difficult."

Sun thought about it, scratched his head, then groaned and fell back against his chair. "I don't know anymore. What else is new?"

Pyrrha told the group about Neptune's war on Grimm.

"So, are we leaving tonight?" Nora asked.

"We'll have to close up the tavern," Ren said.

"But, we should be ready by then," Nora added.

Pyrrha's eyebrows raised. That was fast. "So, you're willing to go?"

"Duh," Nora laughed. "Renny and I love a good road trip! Especially after the rebellion."

"Hey, what about me?" Sun asked, offended. "Why aren't I invited?"

Nora put a consoling hand on his shoulder. "We can't all go to Mountain Glenn to fight the Grimm and save the kingdom. Besides, you should tell Neptune about your ability to predict the Grimm attacks."

"What?" Pyrrha gasped.

"Nora!" Sun hissed. "Why'd you have to say that?"

Nora shrugged unapologetically. "Whoops," she said flatly.

"You can predict the Grimm attacks?" Penny inquired.

"We should have told you sooner," Ren admitted.

Sun groaned. "Yeah, I have these weird dreams at night about the Grimm attacking things and they almost always come true."

"Sun, why didn't you tell us this earlier? We could have saved a lot of lives," Pyrrha said.

"I just… Neptune already treats me like… I just didn't want him to get mad or to worry even more."

"I don't think you should keep things from your friends," Penny told him.

"Yeah, well, maybe it wasn't right, but I did," Sun returned. "Anyways… maybe this means I can be helpful to you when you travel. Can I go with you?"

Penny tilted her head to the side. "Why do you want to go?"

"Because I'm tired of sitting around and doing nothing important. You guys are just taking care of me all the time. I have strengths and skills too, you know."

"If you want to go with us, you'll have to convince Neptune yourself," Pyrrha said decisively. She didn't look entirely pleased, knowing what he kept from them. "And, you'll have to tell him about everything that's happening to you. He deserves to know."

"But…" Sun took a deep breath. "Okay, I will. And, I'm sorry. I guess what I did was pretty dumb, but I promise it won't happen again."

Pyrrha nodded.

After a few moments of silence, Nora took it upon herself to begin planning for the road trip. "We need a new team name! What if we put the first letters of our names together? R-N-P-P. Team Renp!"

Ren put a hand to the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "I can't agree with that idea." He thought about it. "What about Team Purple? Spelt P-N-R-P."

"Team PNRP!" Nora agreed.

"What about the 'S'?" Sun demanded.

Nora waved him off. "Nobody knows if you're going to be able to go yet. If you can, we'll be Team PNRP and Sun."

"What?"

"Oh, stop whining! The 'S' ruins everything!"

"Just put it on the end!"

"How many shades of purple do you want?" Nora demanded exasperatedly.

"Huh? No, you make the 'S' silent!"

"Oh." Nora grinned. "Team PNRPS!"

/-/-/-/

Sun walked into the room where Neptune usually ate his lunch, and waved. "Hey, Neptune."

Neptune put down his steak knife. "Sun? How did you get here?" He did a double take. "And, nice shirt."

"Thanks. I told them you were expecting me."

"I definitely wasn't."

"I know…" Sun took a seat across from him. "So, how've you been?"

"Tired, I guess. Why, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing…"

"Sun," Neptune warned him. "I know when something's on your mind. C'mon, you can share with me."

Sun held up his hands. "Nothing's wrong, I just…" He looked out the window for a while. "I got a job at Ren and Nora's."

"Really? That's great! Does this mean you've stopped stealing things?"

"For now, I guess."

Neptune frowned. "Okay, what's the matter with you?"

"What?"

"Don't 'What?' me!"

Sun squirmed in his chair. "Okay, fine! Emerald ambushed me in the Network a while ago and this Grimm mark that's inside of my Dust mark started spreading and I got really cold, so I cut my Dust scar to spread it back around my Grimm scar, and that seemed to work, but now—for a while now, anyway—I get these weird dreams where I can predict the Grimm attacks. I know it sounds crazy, but I bought this new shirt and everything for it," he rushed.

Neptune's jaw dropped. He had started drinking some water, but his hand loosened on the glass and it started spilling onto his shirt. The sensation snapped him out of his shock. "Sorry, what?"

"Anyways, I'm going with Nora, Ren, Pyrrha, and Penny on their trip to Mountain Glenn so I can help out, but I needed to let you know first. So, now that you know… I guess we're good?"

"Dude, we are so not good! We are so not good that I don't even—like, what? You hide all this stuff from me and I'm just supposed to let you run off to fight the Grimm now?"

"I was hoping you would do that, yeah," Sun said.

"Well, I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Where do I even begin?" Neptune set down his glass, stood up, and began to pace. "You were attacked by Emerald twice. You have a Grimm scar? You somehow spread your Dust scar even more, and you can predict the Grimm attacks!"

"Look, I know I should have told you, but I got scared that you would… be like this, and I'm sorry for hiding things from you, but we haven't solved anything about how I am since the rebellion. Maybe now we can," Sun said.

"And I'm just supposed to let you leave?"

"Yeah, but… it's not really up to you. I'm going to leave, I just thought I should tell you everything first."

"Sun, I'm the king. If I want you to stay, you're staying."

Sun frowned. "It's my life, Neptune. You might be the king, but if I want to go, I'm going."

"What is your deal?"

"What's yours? You're always trying to control me and protect me, but I don't need any of that. I didn't even want to come over here today."

Neptune scowled. "Okay, I get it. You hate that I'm different now. But, this is me."

"And, this is me."

"Okay, but if you turn into a Grimm out there…"

Sun stood and left, feeling like a part of his heart had rotted. "I won't."

/-/-/-/

The council met later that night, sitting around their usual table, dressed in their usual clothes. The only thing that changed was their age. The council kept getting older, one day at a time.

"Five witches left for Mountain Glenn today. Going to try to find a way to destroy the Grimm."

"I hope they die on the way," someone snickered.

"If they do, that solves a lot. If they accomplish their mission, that solves a lot, too. I'm interested to see where this goes."

"If they succeed, will you all finally stop condemning aura-users?" someone else asked pointedly.

"We'll see. We'll see what happens."

"Indeed, we will."

The council talked amongst themselves for a while, before a question was cast out. "Do you think King Neptune has what it takes to lead us through this new increase?"

"Assuming he didn't cause it."

"What do I care? I'm almost dead anyway."

A few people laughed and coughed at that.

"We've already spoken extensively on the subject of aura. There's no point in rehashing old topics. Come now, is there no new gossip?"

"So, you admit we're only here to gossip?"

A few more coughs and grunts of laughter.

"Well, with the adventurers, the Schnees, and the other friends of the king gone already, the only thing left to talk about is the Grimm."

"Ah, who cares about that? We'll be in the thick of it soon enough. Meeting adjourned."

/-/-/-/

Yang awoke to the sound of a territorial pair of birds screeching at each other through the trees. Given their small size, it was amazing how loud they could be. Yang wondered why they couldn't just get along. She was enjoying her beauty rest. Sitting up and brushing the dead leaves out of her hair, Yang set about finding Blake.

It had been months since they first set out on their journey to Menagerie. If they made good time today, they would make it to a port town with a few ships willing to take them to their destination. Yang was excited to see civilization again, but she also didn't really mind being away from it. There were always new and exciting things to do whether she was in a town or not. Especially with Blake around. The other day, they spent hours exploring a cave. As luck would have it, there was some money next to a skeleton… and a lot Grimm.

Shortly after escaping the bushes, she found Blake filling their canteens in a nearby stream. "Morning," she grinned.

"Morning. Ready to go?"

"Yeah. Let's go catch a boat!"

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Attachment


	15. Attachment

~~AAAND START!~~ (Attachment)

Emerald's room had a single barred window. She knew what time it was, how long she'd been imprisoned, how long she'd gone without food. Often, she wondered why the window was there. Numbers were a sort of comfort to prisoners. Raven… she'd saved Cinder after her family was assassinated. Found her in some dirty street alley, protected her. It was just fulfilling old obligations. These obligations obviously didn't extend to Emerald.

Outside the window was a courtyard. Every day at the same time, a few Branwens would come out and sweep it, do some gardening, watch her from the outside.

The door to the room opened. Raven stepped inside with food and water. "How are you?" she asked indifferently. She likely didn't care either way.

Emerald stayed on the opposite side of the room, not bothering to answer.

Raven set down the food and water. "I received word by night pigeon. Mercury has died from his wounds."

Emerald exhaled, then drew the breath back in. It both mattered and didn't matter. She couldn't say she felt sad or sorry. If anything, it was Raven's fault.

"Aura can't heal what is no longer there," Raven mused. "You might be beyond saving as well. Aura can't heal illnesses or addictions, either. Do you know why?" She paused, but the question was rhetorical. "Because when the body is thrown off balance, it forgets its natural state. You might recover, but that's because you fumble towards the ghost of a memory. You fight change. Aura requires more concrete direction."

Emerald didn't answer.

Raven left.

When the door closed, Emerald walked towards the food and water and consumed it. Immediately after finishing, she realized she'd been drugged. Her aura was drawn out against her will. Suddenly, the glass and the plate disappeared. Emerald remembered thinking it was a trick of her semblance, but they melted away so naturally, she believed they were meant to do that all along.

She staggered back against the wall, and slid down into a seated position. For a while, life was still. She watched the ghost-like wind dance around her limbs. The sun was going down, but the light in the room seemed to be getting brighter.

At Dusk, Cinder appeared. Even before she entered the room, Emerald knew it was Cinder.

She was cloaked, the sound of high heels on the temple floor escaped the dark fabric in rhythmic intervals. Emerald tried to stand for her, but Cinder held up a hand to stop her.

Slowly, deliberately, she removed her cloak. With little effort, it slid off her shoulders and fell about her feet. Now, she wore nothing but burns. Burns scarring every inch of her chest, her face. Her core got the worst of them. Her Dust tattoos were nothing but burn scars. The light coming in from the window blessed her skin with a milky glow, but the burns… The burns only grew more horrid.

Emerald began to cry. "I'm sorry, Cinder. I failed you."

Mercury, who was sitting in the corner across from her smirked and shook his head. "You should have been the one to die instead," he laughed without joy. "You should have those burns."

Cinder hushed them both.

Mercury's smirk decomposed, leaving only the skeleton of apathy behind.

"Cinder," Emerald whispered. "I… I'm…"

"Hush, Little Bird," Cinder said. Her voice was the same as always. Honey and spice, dragged through the ashes of the dead. Intoxicating. Lowering herself onto one knee, she held Emerald's face with a scarred hand. The gesture was so delicate that Emerald wanted to throw herself at her feet in tears, but the intensity of Cinder's gaze prevented her from moving. "Even now, would you accept me?"

"Yes, of course. Always."

"Serve me?"

"I'm so sorry."

"Would you serve me?" Cinder murmured, orange eyes searching red.

"I would save you," Emerald replied with conviction.

Cinder frowned, then smiled wryly. She laughed softly. "Emerald, you're a fool."

Emerald almost smiled back. "I know."

"How would you save me when I no longer exist?"

"I will find a way. You're here now, Cinder."

Cinder shook her head.

Mercury stared out the window.

"Would you die for me?" Cinder asked.

Emerald nodded. "I should have died."

"You should have," Mercury said without taking his gaze off the window.

Cinder reached down and pulled a dagger from underneath her cloak. It was covered in dust from the floor. "Die for me," she said. "Return to me."

"Come visit us," Mercury agreed. "Cinder won't be able to make it, though."

"I have things to attend to." Cinder's Dust tattoos became Dust again. "Die for me."

"I…" Emerald reached for the dagger, but her hand passed it and she touched Cinder's bare shoulder instead. The tattoos reverted to burns. "I'm so sorry. I let this happen." Cinder's skin was rough yet supple. Emerald wanted to get closer, but she couldn't move. She focused on the feeling instead.

The dagger disappeared.

"How?" Cinder asked.

"I couldn't save you sooner," Emerald responded without thinking. She couldn't take her hand off of Cinder's shoulder. She couldn't tear her gaze away from Cinder's eyes. She couldn't stop feeling. Stop seeing. Suddenly, she was nauseous. "I couldn't save you sooner," she repeated.

Pink foam started dripping from Mercury's lips. "When the body is thrown off balance, it forgets its natural state," he said. The foam slowly became red. "You might recover, but that's because you fumble towards the ghost of a memory. You fumble towards a memory. The ghost of a memory." Blood stained his teeth, stained the floor. "You fumble towards… You desire… You fight change." Emerald thought he was looking straight at her, but he was still staring out the window.

"Die for me," Cinder pleaded.

"I couldn't save you sooner," Emerald repeated. Suddenly, she sprang forwards and pulled Cinder's scarred body into an embrace. "You meant everything to me," she whispered.

But, Cinder wasn't there. Nothing was.

An empty cup of water and a clean plate sat next to the door. The faint smell of rot wafted in from the courtyard. It was nighttime. Emerald was alone.

She collapsed… and fell asleep.

/-/-/-/

Blake and Yang had been seeing a lot more Grimm on the trail recently, but luckily, they didn't run into too many on the way to town. At dusk, they showed up at the docks.

"Hey! Any boats leaving for Menagerie soon?" Yang asked sweetly.

"The only passenger ship runs once a week. You're in luck. That's tomorrow at midday."

"Great. How much are tickets?"

The dock worker looked them up and down. "You going home?" he asked, looking straight at Blake.

Blake's ears flicked.

Yang noticed, but tried not to let her tone change. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Then it shouldn't be too much," the worker judged.

Yang thanked him, turned, and left. "Well, I guess we should find a place to stay."

"We passed an inn earlier," Blake suggested.

The whole town had an awkward sprawl to it. The dirt roads were dingier than they should have been. The townspeople seemed open to business but not to socialization. To add to that, rain threatened to break from dark clouds at any second. Its heavy scent permeated the air. Blake figured that the sooner they got a room, the better.

"Let's go," Yang said. "I'm hungry."

Blake hadn't noticed it up until now, but she could use some food as well. "Me too."

"Hey, it's a port town. They probably have fish on the menu here."

"Something tells me it won't be very good," Blake guessed, wrinkling her nose.

"Well, you gotta take what you can get," Yang reasoned.

"Unless it's bad fish." What a disgrace.

Yang laughed, and Blake smirked.

When they got to the inn, the boy at the service desk shook his head. "Didn't you see the sign?"

Blake frowned.

"What sign?" Yang asked naively.

"No animals," he said.

Yang looked perplexed. "But… we didn't bring any."

Blake grabbed her hand and tried to lead her out. "Yang, let's go."

Yang didn't move. "What? Why?" Then, it sank in, and her look darkened. "Oh."

"If you understand, get out of here. A few of our guests are allergic to cats," the boy said.

Yang glared at him, then stalked outside. "I don't like this place."

Blake nodded, narrowing her eyes at the inn. "Either do I."

"You think there's another inn around here?"

"We could check."

As it turns out, that was the only inn in town.

"We could always ask to stay in someone's house," Yang said.

At that moment, it began to rain. Hard.

Blake's ears flattened and her stomach growled. "It's worth a try."

They walked to the residential area and knocked on a few doors. The response was mainly the same.

"I'll take you in," someone said to Yang. "But not your cat."

Blake declined and pulled Yang away. She especially didn't like their hungry eyes. Lingering far too long where they didn't belong.

"Look, I think it's sweet that you're trying to do the right thing and all," someone else said. "Saving strays usually works better when the person taking them in has a place of their own, though. Sorry, but I can't handle two strays." They closed the door on Yang and Blake almost before they finished turning them away.

When the two had made it back onto the street, Yang finally broke. Her eyes flashed red. "I can't believe this place!" she seethed. Steam was rising around her; her aura threatening to break free. "What's wrong with these people? They don't even know you! They're just judging you because you're a Faunus, and that's so unfair! Blake, you deserve so much more than to be treated like some—like dirt!" She glowered at all the houses, as if looking for a fight. The first time they'd experienced this, she actually had started one. Eventually, Yang calmed down enough to move on. "C'mon. We can find a place, just you and me."

"At least we tried." Blake began, shivering. "But, you're right. We can do much better than this."

Yang noticed her shivering and smiled gently. "I think I there was a shed on the outskirts of town when we came in. Want to try that?"

"Sure."

When they got to the shed, it was locked and boarded up. There was no way to get in without breaking something. Not that they had a problem with that, but the local authorities would. Luckily, they found a lean-to roof housing some barrels in the back. "Think this'll work?" Yang asked.

Blake was already making a spot to sit inside.

Yang followed her in. The roof was too low to stand under; they had to crouch. The place likely hadn't been repaired for a while. The barrels and the locks on the shed were new, but the roof had holes in it and was rotting. Years' worth of dead leaves were pressed into the thick grass around the barrels. It was wet, but workable.

Yang took off her jacket and crouched among the leaves, preparing a technique she'd learned on the road. She closed her eyes and focused, steam rising off of her. Eventually, she was dry enough to fully activate her aura, and she lit the damp leaves and grass on fire. Her aura dried them, but didn't harm them. Soon, they had enough material to make something livable out of.

"There!" Yang grinned. "Now, all we need is food."

Blake asked Yang to wait, and returned with some fish from the pier a half hour later. They were the aggressive kind that tried to eat raindrops when they fell into their territory. A good size with a tough, hearty taste. Along the way back to the shed, she found some herbs growing near a fence, too.

"Nice job, Blakey," Yang said happily.

Blake smirked, proud of her work. She'd always been the better scavenger out of the two of them. Yang had gotten so good at controlling her aura these days that they were able to cook the fish, dry off, and warm up at the same time.

Blake liked warming up like this. It was better than fire. It felt deeper than that. More intimate. Being near Yang like this… she would be fine if it continued forever.

As she looked out into the rain, she realized that Yang had never asked her to put her bow back on. She'd never asked her to change herself. That was something she liked about Yang. No matter what, Yang accepted her. Her past, her present, and any future that may come. It made her feel safe. She trusted Yang more than she'd ever trusted anyone before. The feeling of complete acceptance… Blake could only hope Yang felt the same way about her. It was strange how much that mattered to her. No one had ever mattered that much. Instead of being surprised by it, though, Blake was rather at peace with it.

Before she knew it, she was leaning against Yang's shoulder.

"You okay, Blake?" Yang asked, somewhat concerned.

Blake's cheeks heated slightly, but she didn't move. "Yeah."

"Oh, okay. You tired?"

"Not really."

"Oh… Okay." Yang watched the rain for a while.

Blake noticed she seemed to be holding her breath.  
"I wonder how Ruby's doing."

"I'm sure she and Weiss are getting along as well as they usually do," Blake replied sarcastically.

Yang knitted her brows. "I dunno, what if they finally put aside their differences? Ruby's never been good at holding grudges."

"Do you really think Weiss could set aside her differences?"

"I think it'd be better if she learned to."

Blake shook her head. "How can you say that after everything that's happened?"

"Weiss is just a person. And, you know she's been making efforts to change."

Blake grunted. Every time she saw Yang's scar, she found it harder to forget her grudges. Weiss would need to do a lot more changing before she considered placing trust in her.

Yang yawned. "Well, I'm getting kind of tired. Time for bed?"

"Sure," Blake said without moving.

Yang waited, but nothing happened. She blinked, then slung an arm around Blake. "Night, Blake," she yawned again, smiling softly. "See you in the morning."

Soon, she was fast asleep, aura rising and falling as she breathed.

"See you," Blake said quietly.

/-/-/-/

When Emerald wanted to leave her room, she found the door unlocked. She wandered the halls for some time, but they were all empty. Not that she minded. It felt good to be alone.

She found the temple's archives. They were full of memoirs, diaries, and academic journals compiled by all the Branwens who'd used the temple. Some of the texts had likely been preserved for thousands of years. When Raven died, whatever she'd written down—if anything—would be placed here as well.

Emerald ran a hand against the well-maintained books and papers, then chose one that felt right. It was written by a servant here, about preserving the old plants in the courtyard. Their directions had clearly been followed. There was a sketch in the back that matched the current look completely.

As Emerald continued reading, she felt the dedication and appreciation of the old servant seep through the pages and into her hands. The text was before Raven's time. Emerald put the book back and searched for another. She found some loosely bound papers from a servant detailing current relations with a neighboring town.

Raven had gained favor there after saving them from a Grimm attack. Living up to her title, however, she took the village's entire collection of Dust in order to do so. The village elder died of a broken heart shortly after the contract was implemented, but the townsfolk continue to both fear and appreciate Raven to this day, and have actually learned to flourish without the Dust.

Raven, Keeper of Despair… As part of her contract, if the town had any Dust in it, everyone would die. Even if the Grimm hardly attacked them now, Emerald wondered if the trade was worth it. Say a traveler brought some in unknowingly, and a civilian discovered it. Disaster would ensue. In a way, the town was prevented from progressing at all.

Even detailing such controversy, the servant's dedication to Raven was easy to discern. Emerald put the papers back in their place. The accounts hurt to read, producing a dull ache in her chest... yet all she wanted was to consume more of them. She didn't have time to choose any others.

"You must be hungry," Raven said, standing in the doorway. "Join me for lunch, Cousin."

Cousin… Emerald was cast out of her family because of her red eyes, symbols of the Branwen lineage. Then, on the streets, she was mutilated by humans because of her wings, symbols of the Faunus. She'd been hated for everything she was since the day she was born. Such a simple, familial word both enraged her and comforted her. She shook her head, but followed Raven out of the room.

Once, when she was young, she went to an abandoned temple to pray to a Keeper. Of course, nothing came of it… but looking up to see a statue of someone seen as not entirely human, but not in any way Faunus left her feeling more detached from everything than before. Yet, she saw herself in it as well.

Raven brought her to a small room with a better view of the courtyard. A low-rise table and two cushions were already set out. A servant brought in hot food moments later. Raven thanked them.

The two ate in silence for quite some time before Raven decided to speak again. "If I asked you to, would you return to Vale?"

"No," Emerald answered. Her voice was low yet convinced.

Raven nodded. "I will have someone else go in your stead, then. Do you wish to leave?"

Emerald couldn't bring herself to answer. She didn't know.

"Do you like the archives?"

"Yes…"

"Take care of them, then. Until you wish to leave. I will send the archivist to Vale." Raven took another bite of meat, then drank her coffee. Long after she had swallowed, she continued, "If I asked you to, would you go to town and gather economic records from the elder for me? I need to know how the town is doing."

Emerald looked at her, somewhat surprised.

"What, do you expect to stay here for free?" Raven asked without humor. She handed Emerald a Branwen's necklace. "Wear this when you go, and they will know you."

Emerald took the necklace, but didn't put it on.

Only when her tears dripped onto it did she realize she was crying.

/-/-/-/

The old town seemed to come straight from a fantasy. Warriors guarded the main road, dressed in a strange mix of tribal wear and modern armor. When they saw Emerald's necklace, they let her pass with a quiet bow. A young farmer asked her to follow in an ancient language mixed with the global standard practiced by the four kingdoms. The global standard was a language devised in Vale, and spread elsewhere through trade, conquest, and art. This town was well-versed in the world, yet forced to find its roots again because of the absence of Dust.

Emerald and the farmer walked slowly, gazing at the low mountains and hills in the distance, at the amalgam of different architectures around town.

When she reached the elder's home, she was given more than records. Offerings of grain, fruit, vegetables, meat, and general supplies were loaded onto a cart. "New?" the elder asked in a thick accent.

Emerald nodded.

"Take boulder hinny. It know way home." The elder clapped, speaking in fuller sentences Emerald only half understood. A donkey-horse hybrid was brought towards her. "It know way home," the elder repeated. "Go. We pray Raven soon. Soon."

Emerald nodded. "Thank you," she accepted.

The elder smiled and gave her a pouch. "You take."

Emerald added the pouch to the cart, but the elder clucked forebodingly and placed the pouch back in her hand.

"You take. You."

After staring at the pouch for some time, Emerald realized it was a gift. She bowed and took the pouch. "Thank you," she said again.

The elder smiled. "Good! Good! You work hard, yes? Good! Bye, now, return soon. We pray Raven soon, too. We see you soon at temple. Soon!"

Emerald nodded again, trying to keep it together. Though she hadn't asked it to, her lower lip was quivering.

On the way out of town, the boulder hinny faithfully followed her every move. Emerald looked in the pouch, finding it full of healing herbs. The documents she'd been given were also written in a mixture of the global standard and the local script. It then occurred to Emerald that Raven must have learned to read it if she wanted to understand anything about this place.

On the outskirts of town, she met a young child with a bad cough and a runny nose.

Emerald bent down, brushed the dirt off their shoulder, and handed them the pouch of herbs.

"Thank you! Af heals yefse roye!" the child shouted happily, then tore off towards their house.

On Emerald's way out of town, the warriors bowed more fully than before.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

Emerald Cinder (a song): ON AN ON – Drifting

NEXT: The Reaper


	16. The Reaper

~~AAAND START!~~ (The Reaper)

In the morning, Blake's shoulder was stiff, but it wasn't anything a quick burst of aura couldn't clear up. She'd slept well, and was looking forward to getting on the boat out of town. That said, she didn't want to move. Yang was still sleeping, her arm was still around Blake's hip, and her aura was still active, fighting off the morning chill. Blake didn't want the moment to end, but she also considered getting closer. As she watched birds flit across the yard, the thought became more and more distracting. Her ears were angled towards Yang's breathing, trying to measure the distance between them.

Yang began to stir. Her head tilted to the side, and her breath brushed the tip of Blake's ears. For a moment, she readjusted and pulled Blake closer. By the time her eyes opened, Blake was blushing profusely. A moment later, their eyes met, and Yang's cheeks reddened as well. Her aura became warmer.

"Morning, Blake," she smiled.

"Good morning," Blake almost stuttered.

"How long were you up? Did I trap you here?"

Blake shook her head. "I wasn't trapped."

"Oh, good. I, uh… I guess it's still a little early for the boat," Yang noted. "You hungry?"

"No."

Yang thought about it. "You know, neither am I." Much to Blake's dismay, she looked away for a moment, but her gaze returned with a playful smirk. "Actually… I'm still a little tired. How about you?"

"Not at all."

Yang's eyes widened. "Oh, did you want to do something?"

"Yes, actually," Blake said mischievously.

"What?" Yang said, trying to move away.

Blake didn't let her get very far. "I want to here stay with you. Until midday."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere," Yang said, missing the point.

Blake rolled her eyes. "No. Like this."

Yang finally understood what she was getting at. "Oh," she replied simply. A bright smile lit up her features. "You know, Blakey, I think we're on the same page."

"Are we?"

"Yeah." Yang snuggled up to her again. "Totally."

/-/-/-/

Both Yang and Blake were glad to say goodbye to the old port town. The dock worker was right—tickets were cheap. Because Blake was a Faunus, the all-Faunus captain and crew assumed Yang was her bodyguard and gave them both a discounted rate. Since they were expecting to spend more on tickets, it left them with a comfortable amount of spending money.

The boat itself seemed to come straight from a museum. It was outfitted with the basic Dust propellants and defense mechanisms, but it was small and the captain was missing some teeth and more than a few strands of hair. His entire right cheek was coated in purple fish scales. In the sunlight, they turned green.

As far as Yang could tell, she was the only human on the ship. It was a noticeable difference. The looks humans usually gave Faunus were now turned on her, but she didn't mind. They just didn't know her yet. Plus, Blake was visibly more relaxed around them, and that allowed Yang to let a lot of things that normally would have ticked her off slide.

At the end of the first day, the captain sat down with all the passengers above deck. "So, you want to know about the seas we sail on?" he asked ominously.

Yang knew the beginning of a good story when she heard one, and the sailors' mead made a good story seem great.

Blake, who was reading a book next to her, looked up skeptically.

Reading the encouraging mood, the captain laughed, scales glistening in the light from a crew member's torch. "Before I start, you all should know. I always get my boat to its destination. I never failed a mission, and I'll never fail as long as I live." He laughed again. It sounded like he was underwater. "Now… have you heard any Grimm stories of late? Let me tell you a few. They've taken place right here on this route.

"This happened to my sister. If I didn't see it through my own eyes, I've seen it with my own blood. That ought to mean something round here. She was a crew member on a cargo ship heading for home from Mistral. Heavy storm hit, and she was called to the captain's quarters. Captain had seen something in the distance. He wasn't a Faunus—couldn't see a thing—wanted her opinion on what it was. And what was it? The Grimm!

"She runs outside, but she's too late. The Leviathans've already wrapped around the hull, already bit into the cargo. 'Well, that's that,' she thinks. But, it's not. The damn things eat every soul on that ship, save for her. The only Faunus. You ask me, it wasn't a big enough dent in the human population, but…" he and a few others laughed, then glanced at Yang, apprehensive.

Yang looked around, eyebrows up. Blake's ears were flat. After a split-second decision, Yang threw back some more mead. "Got any more stories, Captain?"

"You just sit down and take that?" The captain whistled, then turned to Blake. "Where'd you find this one?"

"Forever Fall," Blake replied shortly.

"Well, someone pour her another drink! Light and dark, I like her! What do you two do?"

"We're adventurers," Yang said.

"Then I'm sure you have some stories yourself. Care to share, night-blind?"

"Hmm… we still talking Grimm stories?"

"Right we are."

Yang laughed smugly. "I don't mean to brag, but… I once took out six Beowolves by myself."

"You have aura?" a passenger asked.

"Huh?"

"What self-respecting Faunus from the homeland doesn't?" the captain bellowed. "I'm sure she picked it up in good company!"

"Yeah, I have aura," Yang told them. "But, I didn't have it back then."

And for the next half hour, she had the entire ship's attention.

/-/-/-/

Eventually, the sun began to set, and the waves began to rise. At first, everyone thought it was natural, but then it became worse, pulling the small ship off course with dogged ferocity. The crew searched the waters; however, no matter how hard they looked, the glowing red eyes of the Grimm were nowhere to be found. It wasn't long before the dark waves rose to ominous levels. The boat was effortlessly tossed around, and no Dust spell could correct their course.

The crew started ordering the passengers about, telling them to grab this rope or throw that anchor. Yang was told to go help drag in the nets. Blake was ordered to help drain the water on board. What she managed to throw overboard filled her with a foreboding feeling. The water was black. Pitch black. The captain's Grimm stories came back to her. She tried her best to push them out of her head.

After some time, and as mysteriously as they'd appeared, the waves dissipated completely. Not a single ripple was visible. Blake felt a shiver go down her spine, and unsheathed Gambol Shroud. Her ears lay flat against her head. Her aura sparked about her.

Slowly, what seemed to be a giant hill of water wormed its way up in front of the boat. Shedding the waves like a protective layer, an eyeless Grimm arced its head towards them. One of its two empty eye sockets could have swallowed twenty passengers on the ship. Its large, gaping mouth dropped open, like a chasm lined with rows of teeth.

"Reaper!" The crew screamed, sounding the alarm bells. "Load the weapons!"

Blake's blood ran cold. Few had ever survived a Reaper attack. She looked around for Yang, but she was nowhere to be found. Blake felt beads of cold sweat form on her forehead. Even though she was looking death in the face, all she really cared about was finding Yang. Was she still pulling in the nets? Was she safe?

The Grimm just sat there, watching them all silently. Every once in a while, it would shudder, and its lips would pull into a grin. Then, the corners would twitch and droop again, resuming their natural pout. Its smooth body had no gills, it's mask was more haze than bone.

"Ready Conduction!" the ship captain yelled. "Full power!"

"Conduction ready!" a crewmember responded. "Full power!"

"Fire!"

"Conduction!"

Lightning Dust lit the sea in bright purple shockwaves. The Reaper's pout became more distinct in response. It wailed into the night. The sound brought Blake to one knee, all four ears ringing so intensely that she couldn't tell what pitch she was hearing.

As it cried, the Grimm's teeth twitched and writhed.

"Yang!" Blake yelled. She couldn't even hear herself, but she knew she had to try.

The Reaper's teeth broke loose of its gums, lurching forwards on black appendages. The teeth lodged themselves into both the ship and its passengers.

Blake hit one out of the way. "Yang!" she yelled again.

After all its teeth had struck something, the Reaper convulsed, boasting its awkward grin again before tearing its teeth from its victims. Their bodies went limp as their souls were stolen from them. The Reaper brought them, mere glowing lights, back to its grinning mouth.

Blake watched in horror as it stopped wailing. Instead, it coughed and wheezed, liquid spilling from all its gaping orifices. It regurgitated a singular, red eye, which rolled and spasmed along with the rest of its body. The eye was stuck in its throat, yet the light it cast shone through every hole, reflecting off of every wet surface. Above the eye, things similar to runes were forming. A sending ritual. When the runes had completed a circle, the Reaper screamed, and the souls disappeared. They'd been banished to the Void.

Blake tried to quell her panic. "Yang!" She stood, but the Grimm was already swallowing its eye again. Preparing for another onslaught. It began to wail again, but Blake grit her teeth and looked around wildly, searching. Still no sign of Yang.

When the Grimm launched its teeth again, she cut a few down, saving helpless passengers. "Run!" she ordered. They nodded, and sprinted for cover, but an elder carrying a child tripped on the way. Blake stopped, turning just in time to watch them get impaled. Her breath caught in her throat. "Ah—" she managed. The Reaper's wailing drowned out the small noise.

Suddenly, she felt something familiar draw her back to her senses. Yang.

Smiling in relief, Blake turned to her, but stopped cold.

Yang had saved her from a tooth. She was mouthing something—her name? The white bone pierced right through her, poking out the other side, stained a deep red. She'd gotten wet from the waves, and her aura was barely clinging to her form. Even so, she was baring her fangs, showing the Reaper a devilish grin.

For a moment, Blake flashed back to Forever Fall… but this was so much worse.

The Reaper tried to retract its tooth, but Yang held onto it, her eyes flashing red. Blake ran towards her, but it was no use. In that instant, more teeth appeared, and Yang's soul was ripped from her body just like the child and the elder before her. A golden light reeling towards a sending ritual.

Blake caught Yang's body as it fell. She was cold. Unbreathing. Unmoving.

As soon as the wailing stopped, Blake felt rage consume her.

The last coherent thought she had was that she needed to get to that eye. Its only weak spot.

/-/-/-/

One moment, Yang was taking a tooth to the shoulder, the next, nothing. Actual nothing. She couldn't see. Couldn't hear. Couldn't feel, taste, smell. Nothing. Everything was gone. She couldn't even feel herself breathe. Where was she? Where was Blake? She could feel other presences, but nothing familiar.

Nothing persisted for longer than it should have. Yang was sure nothing wasn't supposed to exist. It oppressed her, overwhelmed her, washed over her. Into her. She began to panic. What was this? How could she make it stop? She realized that wasn't within her power, and that seemed fundamentally wrong. It occurred to her that she was meant to kill Grimm, not be killed by them. Wherever she was going, it wasn't right.

But, the nothing seemed permanent.

Panic. All Yang could do was panic. Until she felt Blake's presence. It flew by her. There for only an instant. After an eternity, Yang felt it again. She wanted to be nearer to it. She liked Blake. Nothing was everywhere, but at least there was Blake. No, it was more like there was Blake, and nothing happened to be everywhere. The other presences were slowly floating away from them. Or, maybe Yang was the one moving.

Suddenly, sound appeared again. From two different perspectives.

"Yang, go back!" It was Blake. She sounded both very near and very far away.

But, Yang wasn't going anywhere. She wanted to get closer to the very near Blake.

"No, Yang, please!" Blake pleaded. "Go back to your body!"

Yang didn't know how to do that. She felt like apologizing.

"Yang," Blake cried. "Please. You have to go back."

Touch appeared from nowhere. From two different perspectives. Hot and cold. Yang wanted to be closer to the heat.

"You're dying. You need to go back before it's too late! Please, you're… you're so cold. Please, Yang, go back! I can't save you if you won't go back!"

But, Yang was right there.

Scent appeared from nothing. From two different perspectives. Blood and fear. If she had to choose, Yang would choose blood… but it was Blake's fear, and Blake shouldn't fear a thing.

Slowly, reality returned, and Blake held her close. "Thank you," she breathed. "Thank you." She rocked them both back and forth. "I'm sorry. I should have been watching my back," she whispered sadly.

Yang was happy to be back, but it sure hurt a lot. She laughed, finding it all absurd. "That wasn't so bad," she said weakly. She brushed a stray hair from Blake's face. Colorful lights were fading in the distance, disappearing into black fog. "I'd do it again," she whispered, aura coming to life around her. She could feel her eyes turning red. Suddenly, she was aware of a hungry coldness inside herself. It grew to be something unbearable. It ate at both the fog around her and the uncertainty inside her.

"Dearest light and dark, woman!" the captain roared, coming towards them. "Did you really destroy that thing all by yourself? Our weapons were useless against it! You ought to be a legend!"

Blake didn't answer him.

The captain sobered immediately. "That doesn't look good," he remarked, eyeing the bloody pair. "I'll call the medic… if he's still alive."

Yang watched him for a second, then turned her eyes back to Blake. Suddenly, everything went blurry. Cold blazed through her, and she choked in air, then out blood.

Blake tore off her jacket and whimpered in frustration. "There's too much…"

Yang was hit with a sense of deja vu. She'd had quite a bit of experience in bleeding out by now, but it never seemed to go as expected. What usually happened? Her eyes turned red…

Blake came into focus for a second. There were still a lot more adventures to be had.

There were still a lot more Grimm to kill, too, Yang thought in passing.

How did she do it again? Turn her eyes red… Yang couldn't remember. She was running out of time.

"Yang, don't die," Blake ordered. "Don't you dare die."

Yang tried to smile at her, but coughed again instead. It was still so cold… she had to remember how to do this. Once, she thought Ruby was dead. Her eyes turned red, and her flames turned black… All the warmth was gone.

Cold. That was it. The cold was still spreading. She only needed to use it.

Blake shook her. "Yang, you can't. You can't go to sleep."

Yang grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. She could feel the sensation spreading, closing her wounds.

"The medic is dead," the captain said, returning. "Along with most of everyone else. Seems like it's just you and me and a couple of passengers pissin' themselves."

"She's not gone yet," Blake growled at him. "I'm never letting her go."

"That doesn't look like it's up to you," the captain sighed. He took a seat on the broken deck. "This ship's barely floating. Might go down soon."

Blake held Yang closer. "No."

The cold finally stopped consuming Yang's wounds. Everything was coming into focus, but she couldn't keep her eyes red for much longer. After that, what would happen? She really didn't want to leave Blake's side.

The captain huffed. "Love, eh?" He looked out over the horizon. "Well, I'll be damned. That's one of our lighthouses. If I'm not mistaken, we've been blown south a ways, but that's Menagerie if I've ever seen it."

Yang's eyes reverted back to their original lilac. She was tired and cold, but felt normal otherwise. Which… wasn't something she was averse to.

Blake's eyes were filling with tears.

Yang did the only thing she could, and pulled her closer. "Don't cry, Blake, it'll be alright. I'm shore of it." She watched Blake's surprise with a devilish smirk on her face. "I'm fine, sea?"

"Yang, how…"

"I'm not sure, but the process was sofishsticated."

"What are you saying?" Blake demanded. "You almost died. We almost died!"

"Yeah, and? We're still alive and—"

"No more puns."

"We're still alive," Yang finished without the pun.

"But, how?"

Yang looked down, and felt most of the joy seep out of her. "I'm guessing it has something to do with my Grimm scar?" The mark had spread, filling her wounds. No wonder she had stopped bleeding. The Grimm had no blood to bleed.

"Never seen that before," the captain remarked.

Blake knitted her brow at the scar, but smiled despite it all. "I can't believe you."

"I know," Yang agreed. "I can't seem to die."

They stared at each other for a moment amongst the wreckage of the ship. Not for the first time, Yang caught herself thinking that even covered in blood and grime, Blake was the best looking person she'd ever seen in her life. No. Especially covered in blood and grime. Yang felt an inexplicable draw towards her. Desire. These days, the feeling was getting harder to brush off. These days, she's also gotten to thinking that she had a chance.

Unfortunately, their moment didn't last long. A horn from the mainland signaled that rescue ships were on the way. Yang never thought the sound of help would disappoint her.

There was a first time for everything.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Cat and Lion


	17. Cat and Lion

~~AAAND START!~~ (Cat and Lion)

Mountain Glenn was a large Dust mining city. Technically, it was a part of Vale, but it enjoyed more sovereignty than a mere village due to its size. Team PNRPS was escorted to the governor's mansion. There was quite the crowd waiting for them outside. Reporters, officials, citizens, and guards stood patiently for them.

"They're so quiet!" Nora marveled. "Are they okay?"

"They're waiting for you to speak," one of their escorts said. "In truth, I imagine everyone here is a little afraid of you… try your best to reassure them."

"Oh, that won't be a problem," Nora smiled. "We've got Pyrrha!"

"Yeah, Pyrrha's pretty reassuring," Sun nodded.

"Thank you," Pyrrha said. "I'm sure we'll all do our part to make a good first impression."

The escort nodded. "You five have certainly made one on me." He then extended an arm. "The governor awaits you at the top of those stairs. Best of luck to you."

"Thank you," Penny accepted enthusiastically.

The governor was dressed in business casual, and extended a warm hand to each of the five. "Hello, welcome to Mountain Glenn. What are your first impressions of the city?" she asked. There was a sort of natural charm about her.

"There's a lot more technology here than in Vale," Sun noted.

"Yes, I'm glad you noticed! Here in Mountain Glenn, almost everything is connected to the mines in some way or another. Each house has pipeline access to Dust powder. I'm sure you'll notice many creature comforts here uncommon in Vale. We have a saying here," she said warmly. "Dust mixes with dust. Our work is firmly rooted in every other aspect of our lives. As you can imagine," she continued, changing tones, "this means we take transparency very seriously. I understand you five must be exhausted from your travels, but I've arranged a short public meeting before you rest. I imagine many of our citizens here would like to know more about you, and like all information, what you have to say is best heard directly from the source. Would you mind giving us some of your time?"

"Sure, why not?" Sun shrugged.

"We would be honored to," Pyrrha agreed.

When the others assented as well, the governor clapped her hands. "Wonderful! I have a few questions for you, then I'll have your escorts take you to your rooms. These questions have been gathered from the audience prior to your arrival. There will be a follow-up meeting to address other major concerns after you've had some time to rest, but these next few questions and their variants were the majority of what was submitted." She took a sheet of paper from her pocket, unfolded it, and cleared her throat.

The people at the bottom of the stairs whispered excitedly, leaning in to hear her better over the slight breeze.

"Sun Wukong. Is it true you are a monkey Faunus and a thief?"

Sun looked visibly rattled by that first question. He shook his head and recovered, smiling awkwardly. "Well, my tail speaks for itself," he quipped. "And, I used to steal things, yeah, but now I work for Ren and Nora at their tavern."

Ren nodded, and Nora waved and cheered.

The crowd whispered amongst themselves for a bit before the governor continued. "You and the king must have quite the dynamic," she reasoned.

"Yeah, I guess we do," Sun replied somewhat distantly.

"Okay, the next one is for Nora Valkyrie."

Nora jumped for joy. "Yay!"

"Are you planning on expanding your mother's business while you're in town?"

"No, but I'd be happy to provide my individual services," Nora beamed.

The governor nodded. "Hmm, if things go well, perhaps an upcoming public event might reap the benefit of your advice?"

Nora saluted. "You can count on it!"

"I'm pleased to hear that," the governor smiled.

More whispering and some shuffling of papers.

"Lieutenant Pyrrha Nikos and Sub-Lieutenant Penny Polendina," the governor began again. "It is common knowledge that Sub-Lieutenant Polendina is Former General Ironwood's beloved daughter. Is it true, however, that she received your referral instead, Lieutenant Nikos?"

"That is correct," Pyrrha affirmed. "Sir Ironwood didn't want her joining due to health concerns."

"These health concerns being Dust sickness?"

"Yes," Penny said. "But, don't worry, I'm combat ready!"

"Mountain Glenn is no stranger to Dust sickness," the governor said. "It can affect anyone. If this begins to hinder your work, however, it is our humble request that you remove yourself from service."

"Of course! I wouldn't want to hurt anybody," Penny replied candidly.

"Speaking of service, you are all reporting directly to King Neptune, correct? You all seem to be good friends. Is this the reason why you are forgoing the more traditional approach of sending in armed services in favor of this small team? And, how do you envision this affecting your performance here?"

Pyrrha looked at the others, signaling that she would take it from here. "We formed this task force in order to determine why certain areas are targeted by the Grimm. We hope to service this town in any way we can, helping to eliminate the enemy. King Neptune has decided a smaller team is more effective when it comes to surveying the citizens' day-to-day lives and analyzing minute details. As you say yourself, governor, there is no better way to attain information than directly from the source. We're looking to do that in the least invasive way possible."

Sun let out a low whistle at her eloquence.

The governor grinned. "How interesting! Now, does your task force have a name?"

"We're Team PNRPS!" Nora announced excitedly.

"Well, that's not our official name," Pyrrha corrected. "In truth, we have no title."

"Hmm… I must admit, we are at a loss as to how to regard you. We know that you possess magic, but using such an obscene title as 'witches' is merely slandering your name. The fact that you use magic is not the sole thing that scares us here, but I wouldn't like to give a metal face to the temporarily unknown. We will begin to understand each other as we work. Dust mixes, right?" The governor furrowed her brow. "You hunt for truth, for answers, and you hunt the Grimm… Perhaps we might call you by what you do? Hunters?"

Team PNRPS looked at each other, then agreed. It had a nice ring to it.

"Hunters, then!" the governor clapped. "Thank you for your time!" At that, the meeting ended and the team was escorted to their rooms.

"Wonderful job," their escort praised them.

Sun smiled. "Thanks, but I gotta say, that was more of an interview than a meeting."

"A place even a short journey away attaches different meanings to the same words," the escort said.

Sun eyed him. "You sound like a pretty wise guy."

"Observant, not wise," the escort said, smiling softly. "What I have is not unique. Simply remain open, and it comes to you."

/-/-/-/

They'd landed in Kuali, about two weeks south from Kuo Kuana on foot. Kuali had a lighthouse and ships, but no real economy to speak of. Even if there were ports to the outside world, it was content to remain introverted. Its atmosphere didn't come off as lazy or slow, just adverse to change.

The entire village was arranged in a circle, with smaller circles of houses and shops within it. At the center of the village was the town hall, where Yang, Blake, the few rescued passengers, and the captain were allowed to stay. Kuali had no inn.

Before the rescuing ship had reached them, the captain had gone below deck and come back with a small cloth bag, which he thrust urgently at Yang.

"Put these on, night-blind. The other villages have no tolerance for humans."

Yang opened the decorative bag to find a pair of hollowed-out fangs and a small container of adhesive.

"Real lioness Faunus," the captain explained proudly, his fish scales glimmering in the moonlight. "A family heirloom. It's a good story."

Yang cringed.

"Well, hurry up and put them on! We haven't got all night! That ship out there sees you as you are now, we're all drowning tonight, got that?"

Yang wrinkled her nose and turn a little green, but did as requested. The adhesive tasted like the sea, but the fangs fit her teeth surprisingly well. Again, Yang was mistaken as Blake's bodyguard, and they were led to the town hall and allowed to rest for a few days.

On the third day, the captain knocked on their door. Blake called him in, and he entered with a bow. Ever since they'd gotten on land, he'd been acting more reserved around them. Yang assumed it had something to do with Faunus culture, but hadn't gotten around to asking Blake about it yet. Yang had mainly slept these last few days.

"I'm heading off on a ship to the capitol," the captain announced gruffly. "Gotta report to my company some day or another or they'll replace an old codger like me. Anyways, just thought I'd let you know."

"I understand. Thank you for everything you've done for us," Blake said. She'd been taking charge more here.

Yang had to admit, she kind of liked the change. It was fresh, exciting.

"Yeah, well, you women saved my life. That ought to count for something. There is one thing I need to ask, though." He looked at Blake with enough intensity to boil water. "What is your last name?"

Blake looked as though she'd expected the question. She returned his gaze steadily. "I don't have one."

Yang watched the two study each other's expressions for a tense eternity.

The captain exhaled heavily after some time, then cleared his throat and changed tones. "You city kids do your best not to cause a ruckus, eh? This old captain's off to Kuo Kuana. And, keep those fangs sharp," he advised Yang with a wink.

Yang nodded and wished him safe travels.

/-/-/-/

Kuali was hot. The heat alone was bearable, but the humidity along with it was torturous. Blake had forgotten what it was like to be in a tropical climate after being away from home for so long. Part of her had missed it, but that part of her was also drowning under sweat and blood-sucking insects. Luckily, aura was accepted in Menagerie. Any mosquito within a foot radius of her got the life tased out of it.

Yang was in a more complex situation. If she activated her aura, she was at risk of heat stroke. If she didn't, she was at risk of having the blood drained out of her.

Shortly after the ship captain had left, she and Blake had been helping with menial duties around the village. There was a festival beginning tomorrow to welcome the rainy season, and there were a lot of seasonal statues and decorations to be placed around the houses.

When the villagers saw Yang's fangs and physique, they assigned her to moving statues. Half way through her first shift, she was covered in bug bites and completely wiped out from the heat. The insects seemed to sense that she was the odd one out among Faunus.

One villager, a deer Faunus, felt pity for them and offered them both clothes more suitable for the weather, which they accepted graciously. Whenever they traveled, Yang was always eager to try on the regional clothes, but this time it was about survival… at first, anyway.

Blake slipped into the pair of harem pants and a loose top many of the villagers wore, and was content with it. Yang, however… After staring at her outfit for a good minute and a half, she grabbed her bag and went into their room. Blake could hear fabric tearing inside and could only guess as to what was happening.

Sure enough, Yang reemerged with far less clothing on than when she'd left. Her pants had miraculously become shorts and her top lost most of its sleeve length, some of its midriff, and its ability to stay on her shoulders. She'd also tied her hair back into a ponytail and activated her aura to keep the bugs away, looking content with herself.

"Looking good, Blakey," she said cheerfully, hands on her hips.

Blake was still getting used to those fangs. They looked like they'd been there all Yang's life, and Blake was just now noticing them. More than just the fangs, though. Why was it that Yang looked incredible in literally everything? Blake decided there should be a limit to these things… The way her heart rate suddenly sped up seeing Yang in those tribal prints couldn't have been good for her health. "Uh-huh…"

Yang dipped a cloth in a nearby basin of cold water, then wrapped it around her forehead. "Ready to keep working?"

Blake tried her best to snap out of her trance, but she wasn't having much luck. "Yeah."

In her defense—or maybe it was just wishful thinking—Yang seemed to be looking back. As she tied on her headcloth, she winked at Blake and gave her a lopsided grin. "I like those pants on you," she said.

Blake's cheeks pinkened. "Thanks." During the rest of her shift, she was in higher spirits than she usually was.

Closer to the end of the work day, she realized that things had been different ever since she and Yang had begun working again. For instance, she knew when Yang was going to get water, and timed her breaks to meet her there. Yang also seemed to know when Blake was nearby, and even met her for lunch despite the fact that neither of them had agreed on a place to meet.

In fact, even as she was thinking this, she knew Yang was about six houses behind her. If she turned around from where she was now, she see could Yang outpacing the other workers, carrying twice the load while laughing the whole way. She'd probably placed a wager or two, earning them a free dinner tonight.

At lunch, Yang had told her about how the villagers thought her Grimm scars were familial tattoos. It was a logical conclusion. No one had ever survived such advanced markings before. Whenever Blake saw them, a wave of uncertainty came over her. How was Yang still alive? Was her aura that strong? Even so, it was all only a matter of time before…

But, Yang had assured her she felt fine, so Blake tried not to worry. Unfortunately, she always had the talent for losing sleep. At least Yang was happy. At least she was safe… for now.

Yang dropped off the crates she was carrying and brushed off her hands, posing triumphantly for the other workers. She fit the stereotypical lion Faunus description: strong, proud, charming. She even had the hair. Blake smirked. Yang was just Yang. Stereotypes existed in every part of the globe, but just because someone appeared to follow them didn't make them any less amazing. People were just people no matter where they lived, if they were human or Faunus, or if they were young or old. Yang was far more than met the eye. Knowing that made Blake feel a little smug.

As Yang collected her wager money, she looked up and waved. Blake waved back, then returned to trying to figure out how any of this was possible. Yang had to somehow know where she was in order to wave to her. It must have something to do with aura. After all, they only had this ability when both of their auras were activated.

Blake had heard rumors of people doing extraordinary things with their auras, but much of it came from folk lore. Even if the stories were based in truth, they'd likely distorted over time. Still, the concept helped explain what was happening. The moral of the stories, among other things, was that anything was possible with aura.

Eventually, Blake gave up on understanding it.

/-/-/-/

Yang liked the village. There was no way to describe how she felt other than extremely content. The food was good—Kuali was named after both its heat and its unique cooking pan, which allowed the villagers to create dishes with spices Yang had never tasted before. Delicious spices. Yang could have eaten six people's worth of food, but she settled for four. After all that sleeping and working, she'd had quite the appetite.

The village council was pleased with her and Blake's work. After dinner, they extended a warm invitation to tomorrow's festival. It was projected to rain all day, meaning the festivities would be in full swing and the heat wouldn't be as unbearable.

Yang and Blake respectfully declined the invitation. Even if the festival sounded fun, they had to continue their travels to the nearest temple as soon as possible. The council was disappointed with their response, but took it in stride. Instead, they ordered traveling supplies for their departure tomorrow morning.

Later in the evening, Yang and Blake were asked about how they got their auras, too. Yang answered honestly, but Blake seemed more guarded. She settled for saying she unlocked it herself, which greatly impressed the council. After dinner, the council bowed politely and left them to their evening. Yang was struck by what Faunus culture she'd been able to observe so far. The people valued both hospitality and independence. If only they didn't hate humans. If only humans didn't hate Faunus.

As soon as they got back to their room, Yang let out a big yawn. "I'm so exhausted," she said, stretching. Then, with dramatic flair, she threw off her sweaty shirt, pulled on a loose nightshirt, and flopped onto the bed. "Much better," she mumbled with a face full of sheets. They were more like nets to keep the bugs off what with how hot it was.

Blake smirked and sat down next to her. She'd somehow picked up a book from one of the council members and seemed eager to delve into it. Yang watched her read for a while, studying her reactions, wishing she was closer to her. These days, they'd been gravitating towards each other when they were alone. These days, Yang would wake up with Blake so close she would forget everything else in the room. She wouldn't mind that happening more often. At all times of day. Maybe she was getting greedy. She always wanted more. More of Blake's touch, more of Blake's time. It was getting to her.

Eventually, Blake got into her pajamas and laid down. Yang saw her chance and scooted over until she could lay her head on Blake's stomach. She forced herself to be content with that, enjoying the moment as it happened.

Blake looked out from around her book, ears perked and eyes wide.

Yang met her gaze. "Should I move?"

"N… No. It's fine. You can stay…" Blake returned to her book couple a moments later, but her ears were still alert and she was hardly turning the pages. After a valiant effort, she decided to hold off until tomorrow, and placed the book aside.

Yang caught a glimpse of the pages as she did so. "It's written in another language?" she marveled.

"It's Ulau'uen, the language most Faunus used before the global standard. A lot of books are still written in it today."

"Wow… is it a lot different from the standard?"

"We adopted the global spoken language before the global alphabet, so it began to mirror the standard's structure before the official switch. However, there are still a lot of differences."

"Mmm… like what?"

Blake opened to the first page of the book and showed it to her. "Well… every word is symmetrical," she said. "It comes from the religious notion of Harmony. Everything needs to convey a sense of oneness. In order for a word to be complete, it has to agree with itself."

Yang flipped around so her head was resting on her arms, and her arms were resting on Blake's stomach. "Wow," she breathed. She furrowed her brows, focusing on the words. They were all surrounded by brackets, and had a circle in the middle of them. Harmony… "It's beautiful."

Blake's cheek's reddened. "The book is actually about the war between the humans and the Faunus. It… doesn't have a happy ending."

Yang closed her eyes and thought about that for a while. "Tell me more about it?"

Blake told her about the outcome of the war. How the Faunus were either subjugated or forced to live in Menagerie, where only one third of the hostile land was habitable. Most of the Faunus died in the first few years due to disease and famine. And, to compound upon that, war bred war. The range of global cultures converging in one place eventually led to violence just when society was beginning to stabilize.

As a result, the majority of Faunus culture that had been advancing for thousands of years was reduced to ash. Living harmoniously wasn't always a religious virtue—that notion was integrated out of necessity.

"That's… terrible," Yang said, and she meant it. She let the weight of what she just heard wash through her. "I knew about the war, but I didn't know about how cruel the aftermath really was. What humans did to the Faunus—and are still doing—is an atrocity. I wish we all could move on from the past, but everyone just seems to ignore it. Worse, it's like we're pretending it wasn't that bad, or that it didn't even happen. And, we're still treating the Faunus like they aren't even people…"

"That's… why we try so hard to change the world," Blake said. "Whether it be through protest or just surviving. Even maintaining our culture—even knowing how to read Ulau'uen is a sign of resilience."

Yang nodded, looking at Blake's book in a new light. As she studied it, her thoughts drifted. Eventually, she asked, "How did you get your aura?"

"I was born with it," Blake said.

Yang's eyebrows shot up. "That can happen?"

"Yes. When both parents have aura."

"Wow. How many Faunus have it?"

"Actually, not that many."

"But, I thought the captain said…"

"He was joking. Aura is a sign of status in Menagerie," Blake explained. "It's equivalent to the first step on the path to Harmonization, or enlightenment."

Yang hummed in acknowledgement. Harmony again. "And, that's only for the upper class?"

"Not on paper, but corruption and politics have a way of changing things."

Yang grunted. "I guess some things are universal."

"Yes. I guess some things are," Blake agreed. A beat of silence passed. "Yang?"

"Hmm?"

"How does Ruby still believe in the Goddess even after she's learned the truth about Dust?"

"Well… we interpret that stuff differently on Patch. Dust and the Grimm are just part of the world, and the Goddess is just a concept. Like time. Ruby never believed in all that biased stuff… Patch's interpretation of religion leaves it out altogether. I think she just… wants to believe there's good in the world. And that, at the end of the day, maybe someone or something is looking out for everyone." Yang smiled and huffed out a breath of laughter. "She never actually read the holy book in Vale. Just what they make people repeat in the churches."

"Why did she go to church if she doesn't believe it?" Blake inquired.

"I guess…" Yang pondered this for a while. "I mean, she was all alone, you know? We don't have any other family, and I… wasn't really around enough…"

Blake frowned. Feeling compelled, she smoothed back a strand of wild, golden hair. "Yang." Her voice was steady. Convinced. "You're a great sister."

Yang smiled, blushing a little. "Thanks, Blake." She paused. "You know, if I never became an adventurer, I'd never have met you. Could you imagine?"

"Not at all… I'd hate it."

They laughed softly, then fell into a comfortable silence. Neither of them moved, but time… Time slowed for no one, and nature thawed the delicate balance they'd managed to construct like snow in the palm of their hands. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't hang on to a comfortable winter anymore. The unknown approaches steadily, if from nowhere else but within. Slowly, seasons change. Rain, snow, chaos, and security… they all exist forever as both distant memory and half-constructed dream, harmonizing, constantly driving everything forward.

Thunder rolled in the distance. The atmosphere changed. The night sky darkened. Yang's desires came back to haunt her. In truth, they'd never left.

And, it might have just been wishful thinking, but Blake appeared to have a glimmer of the same look in her eyes.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Purpose


	18. Purpose

~~AAAND START!~~ (Purpose)

That morning, they packed their bags to the sound of a marimba as it announced the first rainfall of the season. The sky exhaled dark clouds—portals to the Void. Cold, heavy drops bled onto roofs and the thick vegetation between them. The streets turned to thick mud, and rivers formed, rushing towards the sea.

"We're going out in that?" Yang asked, eyes wide.

Blake opened an umbrella and tugged her into the rain. Both of their feet sank into the mud, easily devouring their ankles.

Yang nearly tripped. "Whoa?"

Blake helped her keep her balance. "You alright?" she grinned teasingly.

Yang stepped around in the mud for a moment, then stuck a curious hand outside the umbrella. It was soaked in mere seconds. "Are you kidding me? This is great!" she exclaimed. Thunder cracked and lightning flashed. Yang laughed excitedly as the rain fell harder.

Blake noticed a group of children down the street doing the same thing as Yang and chuckled. Who knew that sort of wonder could look so attractive on an adult? It made Blake want to toss aside the umbrella, but she wasn't a fan of starting their journey drenched in cold rain. "The rain should stop once we reach the other side of the mountains."

Yang nodded. "We should start walking. After all, the nearest temple's a week out. Oh, but before we go, I made a bet with a food-on-a-stick vendor yesterday. I should go collect."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "What'd you win?"

"Ten skewers of fish and spiced fruit."

That was it. For as long as she lived, Blake was never letting Yang go. She wasn't about to in the first place, but this confirmed everything.

"I challenged him to a drinking contest—an entire coconut full of his own hot sauce." Yang smirked. "That man is a lost cause."

The two laughed, then headed for his stand.

After five skewers each—a delectable breakfast—they hit the trail out of town. By evening, they'd reached the desert. Blake had been right. The rain had died down once they entered the mountain's rain shadow, and things had continued to dry out ever since.

"Something tells me I'm going to miss all that water," Yang joked. "What's out here other than sand and temples?"

"Grimm," Blake answered. "They're more hostile here than in the other four kingdoms."

Yang laughed darkly. "Fun times ahead, Blakey."

Blake narrowed her eyes and searched the horizon. "Over there," she signaled.

Sure enough, dark shadows flitted around the sand dunes. When they caught Yang and Blake's scent on the wind, they howled and disappeared.

"Hide and seek, huh?" Yang cracked her knuckles and stepped up the pace. "Bring it on!"

Blake unsheathed Gambol Shroud and activated her aura. She had to admit, after all that rest and recovery, she was itching for a good fight.

The desert, arid and virulent as always, awaited them patiently.

/-/-/-/

Pyrrha exhaled, closing her eyes and laying back in her chair. Transparency was certainly demanding. Ever since Team PNRPS had arrived in Mountain Glenn, they'd been bouncing from this meeting to that, observing this district then that plant. Honestly, it was hard to make sense of so much information. They were being thrown into it all so quickly, so indiscriminately, that it felt no different than going in blind. It also didn't help that they didn't know what to look for in the first place.

The governor's solution to that problem was extreme trial and error.

Feeling the texture of the chair's braided armrests, Pyrrha attempted to ground herself. There had been more and more Grimm attacks recently, which only added to their schedule. She never thought she'd have to wash blood and grime from her hands just minutes before being the guest of honor at a ball. It had also never occurred to her that so many Schnee snowflakes could exist in the same room at any given time. The more she tried to block them out, the more ubiquitous they seemed to become. Schnee Dust, Schnee pipes, Schnee workers, Schnee propaganda, Schnee-sponsored events, Schnee equipment, and on and on…

What was worse was that even though Team PNRPS was being carted around from place to place in order to see as many aspects of city life as they could, Pyrrha felt as though she was missing the most important aspects of Mountain Glenn. She never got more than a few minutes with each worker or citizen. It all seemed too mechanical. For the last few days, she'd been attempting to voice her concerns to the governor, but she'd only been able to get them all a couple more hours of free time each night. Those extra hours were usually spent in this chair, trying to muster up the energy to drag herself to bed.

They were being treated like an entire region of people, yet they had come as a group of five for a reason. Exhaustion was slowly setting in against Pyrrha's will.

Penny knocked at the door. "Pyrrha? Are you in there?"

"Just a moment, please," Pyrrha called. Forcing her body into motion.

Penny greeted her with a smile and a tray of coffee. "It looks like everyone else is asleep. Since you and I are up, though, I thought we could relax until the night tour at the mines. I don't know how you like your coffee—or if you like coffee—but I brought cream and sugar with me as well."

Pyrrha accepted a cup and added some cream. Cream was a luxury soldiers weren't afforded often. She was glad to have it. "Thank you."

"No problem, Pyrrha! I know this must be tiring for everyone on our team. If I could feel, I'm sure I would be tired enough to sleep for a week."

"Well, feel free to lie down on the couch," Pyrrha invited in good humor. "There's plenty of space here."

At that moment, Sun came sprinting down the hallway, gasping for breath. "Guys, guys, guys!" he shouted as he neared them. "You won't believe what I just saw!"

Pyrrha tensed, hand moving towards her sword. "What did you see, Sun?"

"I just fell asleep in the garden, and—"

Nora, who had popped her head out of her door to get a better look at the commotion, glared at him. "And some of us are still trying to sleep!" she hissed.

"No, listen! There are about to be a ton of Grimm! Everywhere!"

Pyrrha started speed walking towards the governor's room. "When and where?"

"That's just the thing," Sun said, still catching his breath. "I don't know when, but there were so many of them!" He flung his arms out wide. "Enough to cover the whole city!"

"Sun, if we don't know when it's going to happen, how are we going to protect the citizens?" Nora demanded. She started pushing him off towards his room. "Go back to sleep and dream it again until you give us some answers!"

Sun fought against her. "Nora, I don't think that's possible right now."

"We should still alert the governor," Ren said, magically appearing as though he'd been there all along.

Nora eased off in order to think. "But, if we let her know now, it won't do us any good. It could be weeks. Months! Years until we see the Grimm!"

"Definitely not years," Sun clarified. "Or months. This is definitely happening soon."

"We need to tell the governor," Pyrrha decided. "I'd rather strengthen security than go into this underprepared."

At that, they all went straight to the governor's room. She welcomed them in with her famous charisma. When Sun told her about his dream, she frowned in thought. "Is it your aura that allows you to make these predictions?"

"Yeah, sure. Anyways, we need to get a lot more guards out there on the streets if we want this place to have a chance, okay? It's happening!" Sun said urgently.

"Have you ever been wrong?"

"No, which is why we need to hurry!"

"I see… I will let the guards know, but if we don't know what exactly we're looking for, it will be difficult to guard against an attack. Mountain Glenn doesn't have the number of armed forces Vale boasts, and we're already spread quite thin as it is with the recent losses. Are you sure you don't know of any other details that could help?"

Sun shook his head gravely. "I'm sorry, but all I know is that something huge is going to be happening soon… and the Grimm are going to be everywhere." His premonition left an ominous air about the room.

The governor sank into silence, then flashed a smile. "We'll be as prepared as we possibly can be. Thank you for letting me know about this. However, fear should never keep us from completing our duties. Are you Hunters ready for the night tour of our mining facilities?"

Team PNRPS grimaced, but met their escorts outside the manor.

Once they checked in at the entrance, they put on hard hats and headed underground. Since the mines were closed at this hour, they were paraded around the entire above-ground facility. After a short speech on how things were up to code and what was done in each part of the mine, they would trudge further underground. Every so often, their guide or the guide's fellow miner would cough.

"What?" one would ask the other.

"Didn't speak. Coughed."

"Oh, right."

Then, they would continue until it happened again.

"Do you think their job makes their hearing go bad?" Nora whispered to Ren. Both of the miners were old, too, so that could have been part of it as well.

"Nora," Ren warned.

"What'd you say?" one of the miners asked her.

"Nothing!" Nora rushed with an awkward smile.

Pyrrha watched them for a moment, then turned to look at Sun and Penny. Sun was visibly on-edge, and Penny… Where was Penny?

Pyrrha stopped and turned around, squinting into the dark corridor behind her. "Penny?" she called.

Footsteps came running up to her. Then, she saw Penny's face in the torchlight. "Sorry, it won't happen again!"

"What were you doing?"

"I… I thought I heard something," Penny said distantly. "Don't you worry, though, Pyrrha! It wasn't what I thought it was!"

"What did you think it was?" Sun asked.

"We ever going to mark this new vein?" their guide asked, pointing a torch at a seemingly Dustless rock wall.

"Everybody knows it's there," their partner shrugged. "We'll get it."

"Right."

"How do you know it's there if you can't see it?" Pyrrha interjected.

"I can hear it," Penny whispered, eyes wide.

Their guide laughed. "You ever want a job as a scout or supervisor down here, Ms. Polendina, you got one."

Sun looked confused. "What…?"

"Dust sickness," their guide elaborated. "Best miners have it. How else you going to know where to go?" He coughed violently, then wiped blood from his mouth. "Comes with a price, though, don't it?"

Everyone cast a glance at Penny, who simply smiled back at them. Before she could respond, the tour stopped at a giant pipeline.

"Reached the midpoint," their guide said. "This is part of what sucks up all the loose, raw powder to be processed and sold as low-grade Dust in town or at a shop. Whole thing connects the town."

The giant pipes wove further into the tunnels and higher up in the ground. Someone coughed.

"You want to add something?" the guide asked his partner.

"Huh?" they asked, sniffling. "Didn't make a sound."

Someone coughed again.

"Who's coughing?" the guide demanded.

No one seemed to know where the sound was coming from. Unsteady footsteps sounded from down the hall, staggering closer through the dark. Three pairs of them approached the torchlight, along with three distinct coughs. A dry cough, a wet cough, and a rattle.

Team PNRPS reached for their weapons.

"Stay still!" the guide barked at them. "Let them pass!"

As he said that, three scrawny Grimm stepped into the edges of the torchlight. Onikodo. They had no hands, ears, or noses; just two vertically stacked, squinted red eyes peeking out from underneath their masks. They stumbled forwards without feet.

When they spotted the group, they stopped and cocked their heads, resembling starved children with no mouths. When they coughed, their eyes bulged, and the sound somehow escaped from behind their red orbs.

The one with the dry cough reached up and scratched at its singular horn with its sharp stub of an arm. Its companions watched it, then turned back to the group and coughed. Each cough threatened to throw them off balance. After a while of this, they began to dance. Something close to a folk dance, coughing all the way.

Pyrrha watched them, feeling as though she was seeing something sad—something disturbing. She saw Penny's eyes flit to the pipeline a few times, and wondered what she could hear. Was something echoing the Grimm's coughs?

"Don't move," their guide repeated, shaking slightly.

As the Onikodo continued to dance, a thin cloud of dust built in the air.

"Uh… I think I have to sneeze," Sun said. "They're going to pass us, right?"

"Hold it!" the guide's partner hissed.

"I'm trying!"

The guide shushed them.

Sun was quiet for a while, his nose twitching slightly. He eventually exhaled. "Okay, I'm good now."

Everyone breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

The Onikodo turned mid-dance to look at them, coughing. The one with the rattling cough shuffled up to the guide's partner, eying them skeptically.

A tense staring contest ensued. Neither of them blinked. Then, suddenly, the guide's partner shuddered and coughed violently, startling the Onikodo.

The guide swore.

All three Grimm stumbled backwards, looking at each other with wide eyes. Next, as if cued by natural instinct, they turned in unison to follow Penny's gaze to the pipeline, and ran towards it. Two of them grabbed the third by its shoulders, throwing it horn-first into a pipe. The pipe burst. Powdered Dust gushed out of it. The miners and escorts started swearing and covering their mouths.

The Onikodo that had burst the pipe shoved its face into the pressurized Dust. It opened its eyes wide, and wind flew out from its eye sockets, forcing its way into the pipe. Thinking fast, Pyrrha and Penny cast a protective line of Zero in front of everyone. They activated their auras, too. The burst pipe was beginning to distort. The Dust was reacting with the Onikodo's wind.

Pyrrha tried keeping the pipe in place with her semblance, but it was too much to handle. Penny tried to calm the Dust, but it was out of her control.

Further down the mineshaft, an explosion shook the ground. The Onikodo coughed and danced, pleased by this. Sun and Ren killed them before they could puncture any more pipes, but the damage was done. The chain reaction had started.

In mere seconds, the entire pipeline reacted, and they were all thrown back in the explosion.

/-/-/-/

Pyrrha awoke to darkness. The torches had gone out. Pain throbbed in the entire right side of her body. Everything below her right knee was trapped under something, and the ringing in her ears made her believe she'd gotten a concussion.

Nora's pink flames illuminated the dark. "Guys? Are we all still alive?"

Pyrrha grimaced. Her foot wasn't under rubble, but the body of their guide. "We have casualties."

The ground rumbled and creaked. Dirt fell from the ceiling.

Ren pushed himself up, and Nora helped him stand. "We're trapped," he said grimly. It was true. Pyrrha and Penny's efforts to push back the reaction had somehow allowed them a small room, but all traces of the tunnel were gone.

"Penny? Sun? Are you okay?" Pyrrha called.

Sun coughed. "Someone help me out from under this beam." His aura reactivated, casting light on a splintered wooden beam that had fallen dangerously close to his ribcage.

Nora lifted it off of him. "Where's Penny?" she asked him.

Sun shook dirt from his hair. "Haven't seen her. You don't think she's… trapped or something?"

"Penny!" Nora yelled.

No response.

Pyrrha felt a rush of fear, but she took a deep breath. She had to stay calm. "Are there any other casualties?"

As it happened, everyone without aura to block the blast pressure was dead.

Trying out her right leg, Pyrrha stood and shifted weight onto it. It would hold. She scanned the room. A hand peeking out from the rubble in a dark corner caught her attention. Her stomach dropped. Nausea hit her, but she tried her best to steady herself.

 _After a few seconds, Blake's Faunus ears twitched. "Turn it off!" she ordered._

 _"What?" the guard shouted._

 _"She said to turn it off!" Yang yelled back._

 _"Oh! Roger that!" He stopped the flow of water._

Pyrrha took a step towards the bloodied hand. The others in the room watched her apprehensively. The atmosphere was thick enough to stir. She stopped in front of the hand. Stared at it.

 _A mangled corpse covered part of the sewer grate._ _Time froze._

Before she knew it, Pyrrha was desperately slinging aside the rubble. She wasn't alone. The others helped her dig as well.

"Penny!" Sun shouted. "Are you okay?" He sounded a million miles away.

 _A mangled corpse covered part of the sewer grate._ _Time froze._

Fresh blood coated the limp arm, creating a sickly mud around it.

 _A mangled corpse covered part of the sewer grate._

Pyrrha hit a pipe that wouldn't budge. She started to pound on it. "Jaune!" she screamed, but the timing didn't seem to match. "Penny!"

" _Pyrrha!" Yang shouted. "Stop!" She ran over to her and shook her. "Pyrrha!"_

" _She's in shock," Blake said. "She can't control her aura. It's mirroring her emotions."_

 _Yang grit her teeth. Something sharp hit Pyrrha in the cheek. "You need to listen to me!"_

Gasping for breath, Pyrrha braced herself against the piping. She could smell the dirt. Blood. Fear. "Penny," she tried again, fatigued. The others stopped digging. The metal piping prevented them from going any further.

A pressure was building in the air. In Pyrrha's head.

 _Blake took an urgent step forwards. "Yang, you have to knock her unconscious!"_

Drawing in an unsteady breath, then forcing it out, Pyrrha activated her semblance. She could feel the pipe respond to her. The metal was colder than death, biting her forehead, forcing her to be in touch with reality. She took another breath, and the pipe creaked. It would have to do more than that. It needed to move. It had to move. Pyrrha took another breath. Deeper.

A high-pitched ringing echoed in her ears. The pipe moved slightly.

Pyrrha needed that pipe gone.

 _A mangled corpse covered part of the sewer grate. Like a broken puppet surrounded by wounded, metallic animals._

The pipe screeched. A terrible, high-pitched noise. It peeled, stripping itself from its own body. As the strips flaked off, they turned brittle and corroded. Pyrrha took another breath. Steadier. The metal screamed as though it were being tortured. Blood dripped from Pyrrha's nose. Her vision blackened around the edges, so she closed her eyes.

"Pyrrha!" Nora shouted.

Pyrrha exhaled, digging her hands into the pipe, then tearing it apart. She fell to one knee, but rose again to continue freeing that hand. "Penny!" she called. Her voice was a strong whisper.

A shoulder surfaced.

A head appeared.

It was the wise escort. Dead.

Everyone looked at each other, relieved, saddened, perplexed. Where was Penny?

Pyrrha kept digging.

Nora pulled her away from the wall. "Pyrrha, she's not there!"

Pyrrha shook her head. "I know it doesn't look like it, but she has to be." She kept digging.

"Pyrrha," Sun tried.

Pyrrha's hands hit rock. Not rock, Dust. It was glowing.

Sun's tail bristled. "What is that?"

Nora and Pyrrha started digging immediately. There, within the glowing Dust, was Penny.

When they cleared away her head, Penny opened her eyes. The Dust around her started melting away, like thawing ice without water. Even if Penny was looking around, she wasn't taking anything in. She looked distracted.

Pyrrha pulled her from the Dust before the cavity she was in could collapse, and held a hand to her forehead—hot, but returning to normal temperature.

Pyrrha could only think of one thing.

" _Do you believe in destiny?"_

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: The Disaster at Mountain Glenn


	19. The Disaster at Mountain Glenn

~~AAAND START!~~ (The Disaster at Mountain Glenn)

They were trapped. Before the explosion, Penny remembered pleading with the Dust to help save everyone, but she was the only one who seemed to benefit from her efforts. If she could go back and do it again, she would have tried harder, or would have started trying sooner.

That said, there was no going back.

She'd woken up in Pyrrha's grip, but Pyrrha herself was fading in and out of reality. Everyone had already been fatigued before the explosion. It was no surprise that after all this, they barely had enough to hang on.

Once in a while, the ground would shake or the ceiling would crumble. They didn't have long in the small, earthly room. Penny knew she had to do her best to get them all out of here. She only needed to think of a way to do it.

The remains of the pipeline were scattered about the room, but she could still see evidence of their original placement. And, she could still hear the voices. They were everywhere; they were urgent. Penny knew time was of the essence. She staggered onto her feet.

Pyrrha regained coherency at that moment. "Penny!" she breathed. "I'm…" She squinted and wavered for a moment. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Hi, Pyrrha. Thank you all for saving me," Penny said. "Just you wait. I'm going to get us all out of here."

"How?" Sun scoffed. "You see where we are, right? No way we're getting out of this."

Penny inhaled, drew up her posture, and smiled. "Don't worry. I'm not alone!"

Pyrrha struggled to standing position. "You're right. If we work together, we should be able to make it out through the pipeline. It connects…" She put a hand to her head and groaned. "It should still connect to the surface."

"You're not lifting a finger this time, Missy," Nora scolded. "Leave it to us!"

Pyrrha shook her head. "I have to bend the metal."

Penny put a hand on her shoulder. "Pyrrha, you're hurt. You need to rest."

"We don't have time for me to rest," Pyrrha stressed. "It's okay. I'm pushing my limits, but I know what I'm doing." She held up a hand, activating her semblance. The metal near the original pipeline began to clear away, revealing an area that resembled its layout just before the explosion.

Sun shook his head. "You're seriously incredible."

When the entire pipeline had revealed itself, Pyrrha lost consciousness.

Penny caught her fall. "Thank you, Pyrrha. You rest. I'll take it from here."

Ren took Pyrrha from her and began applying basic first aid.

Penny approached the cross section of the pipeline Pyrrha had dug out, and closed her eyes. When the pipeline had exploded, the Dust reacting within it had mostly pushed outwards into the tunnel, following the path of least resistance. Though most of the pipes had been fragmented the process, there was far less fragmentation where the pipeline rested against rock. This followed the original path of the pipeline up to the surface, and the Dust that hadn't reacted remained relatively close to it.

Penny could hear a concentrated line of voices leading upwards. They were desperate for her and the others to reach the surface as quickly as possible. For what purpose, Penny hadn't the faintest idea. She activated her semblance. "Can you hear me?" she whispered.

The rock and debris around them rumbled.

The others' jaws dropped.

"Please help us get out of here." Penny held out her hands, and the Dust reacted, pushing out from its original position, clearing out a new tunnel wide enough to walk through. The more the Dust moved, the more voices there seemed to be. When the tunnel was completed, a layer of Dust crystallized around it, securing the structure. Penny nodded. "We'll be up there as soon as we can." Having said that, her body gave out on her. She'd forgotten that she must have been tired as well.

Nora picked her up and headed for the tunnel. "Come on! We need to see what's happening up there."

Ren nodded, carrying Pyrrha after her. "We should hurry."

Sun followed them. "Didn't the guide say the tunnel connected the entire city? If the reaction spread through the whole thing… This could be really bad."

They didn't waste any more words, hurrying as quickly as their bodies would allow them to, which meant they had to frequently stop for breaks.

After every step, the Dust tunnel collapsed behind them.

"How long is this thing?" Sun huffed. "Did it get longer after the explosion?"

"I feel a draft," Ren said.

"Dude, I think that's just Pyrrha breathing on you."

"I feel it too, Ren! We're close," Nora called back.

Sure enough, faint natural light began to reflect off of the Dust in the tunnel.

Sun's tail swished excitedly. "Look, there it is!"

They picked up the pace, running to the end of the tunnel. When they reached the top…

Calamity.

Much of the city was in flames. Buildings had fallen, roads had blasted open, and Grimm were running wild in the streets. Screams echoed towards them, but they were quieting at a horrifying rate. The Grimm, the flames, and the frequent collapses of broken structures took the citizens well before help could hope to arrive.

Nora's eyes widened. She hadn't blinked since she'd gotten to the surface. "All of this after one reaction?"

A Beowolf sniffing the remains of a guard caught their scent and howled. Others from far off joined in, too. There must have been at least twelve.

Sun swallowed thickly, his tail fluffing up. "Uh… guys? Maybe we should get out of here!"

Ren and Nora nodded, and they hurried towards cover, but there was no way they could outrun the Grimm at this rate. The Beowolves were already gaining ground on them, and the city's rubble was too hard to navigate in their current condition.

A Beowolf lunged at Ren, and Sun blocked the hit, but another one leapt from behind them both to counter attack. Ren activated his semblance and stabbed it through the skull with his holographic blades. One down, at least eleven to go.

Nora laid Penny on the ground and upped her aura.

Ren glanced at her, then set Pyrrha down as quickly as possible. "We need to buy her some time," he said to Sun.

Sun nodded, equipping his staff to fend off a vicious bite. Even if he put his all into creating a diversion, however, there were too many Grimm to keep at bay. He could block three hits, but the next four would knock him down. He would hide behind a nearby broken wall, but that would put him in front of another set of fangs. "There are too many of them!" He blocked a paw swipe to the head, but sustained a bite to the knee. The ground was more abrasive it looked. "Ren, I'm down!" he screamed, rolling out of the way before a Beowolf could lock his head in its jaws.

Ren showed up, bleeding from the shoulder. "Nora!"

Nora threw him a giant bomb she'd crafted with her aura. He threw it at the most concentrated part of the horde. She detonated it. Eight Grimm were swallowed in the resulting blast.

Ren exhaled, focusing on keeping his aura active. If he couldn't heal anymore, it would be the end for all of them. Nora dragged herself over to him, leaning on her hammer.

"I have your back," she heaved. Determination gleamed in her eyes.

The two Beowolves circled them, snarling, appraising their weaknesses.

Sun grit his teeth and tried to spike his aura in order to heal faster. A terrible chill went through him instead. He immediately flashed back to his dream. So, this was it. Even if he got up, there would be hundreds of other Grimm waiting to take them down again. He shivered, then shook himself out of it. There was no use thinking about that. They had to survive.

Nora struck one Beowolf's shoulder with her hammer. Seconds later, she was shoved by the other to the ground, but Ren killed it with his bearded axes. To his surprise, Nora performed a sweep kick, knocking him off balance. The final Beowolf had lunged for him, and when it appeared where he was just moments ago, she crushed its skull without a second thought.

The two fell to the ground when it was all over. It was as if oxygen was in exceedingly short supply. Their auras were completely depleted. At least they still had their lives.

Sun relaxed for a second, but it seemed too perfect. A shiver ran through him. "Guys, move!" he screamed.

He wasn't fast enough. A Creep emerged from the ground directly below Ren and Nora, throwing them aside. Ren hit a stray mine cart, Nora hit a wall. Neither of them reacted. The Creep snarled, debating between who to go after first.

Sun panicked, looking around for anything he could use. Picking up a nearby rock, he threw it at the Creep to draw its attention. Immediately after doing that, he wasn't sure that was the best plan. There was no way he could defend himself against it. More were starting to show up, too. Digging themselves up from wherever they were underground. If they'd appeared in the tunnels, it would have been the end for sure.

Sun dragged himself back against a wall, but he wasn't sure how much that would help. The Creep was milliseconds away from-

A broadsword cleaved the Grimm in two.

/-/-/-/

Penny awoke to near silence. There were unfamiliar whispers, but she doubted their reality. Like false rumors in the face of an opposing truth. The next thing she noticed was that she was next to Pyrrha and Sun. They all seemed to be lying in beds, though that didn't make much sense. People Penny had never seen before were watching them from the corner of the room.

Penny sat up. "Who are you?" she inquired.

"We're with the governor," one of them replied tersely. "Lie down. You'll hurt yourself."

Penny shook her head with a reassuring smile. "I can't feel."

His eyes widened. "You might have a spinal injury or nerve damage, then. I'll have to run more tests. Lie down."

"Are you a nurse?"

"Yes. You Hunters sustained a lot of injuries out there. You need to rest. It'll make you feel better."

"But, I already told you—"

"You can't feel. I know. I made note."

Penny nodded, then looked around. "Are Pyrrha and Sun okay?"

The nurse frowned. His assistant finished writing something down, then got up and left the room. "The boy's knee is troubling, but with your powers, it might improve. The girl… her condition is unknown. We suspect internal hemorrhaging, and have done our best to treat it… It's hard to work with you Hunters. I don't know why we bother, anyway. You're the reason why this happened, right?"

Penny's eyebrow creased. "We were attacked by the Grimm in the mines. We would never do anything to hurt the city." She wanted to make her tone more believable, but her voice was breathy and flat. She turned her attention back to her friends. "Where's Ren and Nora?"

"We moved them to the surgical unit."

"Are they okay?" Penny gasped.

"They needed stitches. A few broken ribs, too. And, you," the nurse said. "You're suffering from extreme fatigue. More so than the others. How hard do you work yourself in a day? This isn't something you can get overnight."

Penny shrugged. "I usually fall asleep when I need to."

"When do you need to?"

"Whenever it happens… I never feel tired."

The nurse cleared his throat. "Well. I'm advising you to sleep more." That covered, he stood. "Are you feeling well enough to… Is it possible for you to stand?"

"I don't know, I haven't tried yet," Penny answered honestly. She stood. "Yes, I think I can."

The nurse watched her warily. "Usually, that'd be a sign of improvement, but with you, I find it difficult to assess."

"I'm sorry. I wish I could help, but I'm not sure whether or not I'm still hurt. My voice sounds strange, but I can't see any wounds on my body, so I can't say what's wrong. Maybe I'm too tired."

"Maybe."

The nurse's assistant reappeared. "Sir, I spoke with the governor. When they're all awake, we're to meet with everyone in the main room."

Penny tilted her head to the side. "By the way, where are we?"

"The governor's bunker."

"The governor has a bunker? For what?"

"For something like this, of course. You were set to tour here next week. If you have more questions, bring them up at the meeting, okay? I don't want to explain this again four more times."

"Okay, I can wait," Penny said.

The nurse's assistant nodded. "Then, I'll go check on the others. They might need my help. That Valkyrie's stronger than she looks. If she goes in for more stitches, it's going to take all available personnel to hold her down."

The nurse grunted. "Do as you like. There's nothing else to be done here."

/-/-/-/

The main room was more of an undecorated metal box containing a circle of small stools. Penny watched a representative from the Schnee Dust Company shift uncomfortably, but when the governor spoke, she sat up straight and gave her full attention to the meeting. In contrast to Weiss's hair, hers was more of a muddy brown, but the demanding atmosphere was definitely similar.

"First, I'd like to say that this is a tragedy, but not the end," the governor began. "I've contacted King Neptune to send for Lieutenant Nikos' region… When I sent the request, however, I assumed the lieutenant would be unable to serve, and requested a new leader. The request should be processed and honored shortly. We simply have to wait for reinforcements to arrive."

"How is this not the end when the city is destroyed? When our families are dead?" someone asked bitterly. "We should have never invited the Hunters here."

"Might I remind you," the governor said cooly, "that Sun here was the one who warned us of this possibility? The only reason why many of us are in this room is because of his warning. Without it, many more people would be dead. Luckily, I've received word that a few more neighborhoods have entered bunkers. Exact numbers of the survivors are still being calculated. My question for the Hunters is, how did this happen?"

Penny did her best to relay the story.

"I see… So, you used your powers to return to the surface, where you were saved by Yatsuhashi Daiichi. He was at the mining site in order to tattoo prisoners inflicted with Dust sickness." She paused, then added, "Marking them helps us better understand their needs if they ever suffer from an unexpected mental breakdown where they are unable to relay their condition with words."

"Why do you even have a pipeline here if something like this can happen?" Sun asked heatedly. His hurt leg was propped up on another stool.

"The pipeline is of the highest quality and construction," the Schnee representative huffed. "No normal puncture could damage it so severely. The pipeline has been a valued resource to the town for decades. Though there are anticipated risks, we've prepared countermeasures to those risks…" she gestured around the room.

"So, do you know how to get rid of the Grimm?" Sun asked, frowning.

"I know how to use Dust against them," she answered.

Sun grunted. "Yeah, that stuff's probably super expensive now!"

"The prices are still being adjusted to the new supply and demand we're faced with."

At this point, the governor decided to interject. "I thought advancing the pipeline would be a technological improvement that would propel Mountain Glenn to unprecedented prosperity. If anyone is to blame for its malfunctioning, it should be me. However, as long as I am still of service to you all, I humbly request that you let me stay as your leader. We must get through these challenges together. We must take back the city."

"Do you have a plan?" Yatsuhashi asked.

"I must admit, our victory rests heavily upon the shoulders of the Hunters."

Yatsuhashi nodded. "Though I have no aura, I will do whatever I can to assist everyone to that end."

The governor smiled. "Thank you. We must act as soon as possible. There are still citizens out there in need of assistance. Their safety is of the highest priority."

"I suggest we start collecting more Dust," the SDC rep announced.

"The mine collapsed when we left," Sun told her.

The rep raised an eyebrow. "You must not have reached this far in the tour, but Mountain Glenn has a self-replenishing Dust mine. As far as I know, it's the only one of its kind on the continent."

"Self-replenishing?" Penny asked, shocked.

"Yes, new Dust often forms on the sides of old tunnels. We've been spotting new deposits on the surface as well."

"Why?" Sun asked.

"Our scientists have been unable to determine a cause."

Penny thought about it. That could be why she heard so many voices in the mines. They were all around her in the rock. More of them surfaced during their escape when they reformed the tunnel. If that was the case, then maybe more Dust had been created. But, how?

Dust came from aura… Aura came from souls.

Dust came from the rock… The rock had a soul?

That made no sense. Rocks weren't even alive. Unless it was something surrounding the rock?

"What's so special about the mines?" Sun asked.

"The rock in this area is porous, which allows Dust to form in it more easily." The governor took a necklace from around her neck and passed it around the circle. "Here's a sample from deeper in the mines."

Penny flipped the rock over in her hand a few times before noticing a slight discoloration within the pores. "What's in the little holes?" she asked.

"That's a fungus common to the area. It's been known to grow almost everywhere, but as far as we know, it isn't toxic. It's especially common in the underground rock found in the mines. It adds to the structural integrity of whatever rock it's in, so we usually encourage its growth."

So, it was the fungus!

"I know why the Dust here self-replenishes," Penny spoke up. "And why there are so many Grimm," she added. "And, I think I know how to help everyone above ground."

The entire meeting room was shocked.

"You… you do?" the governor inquired hesitantly. As if she'd just dreamt that.

Even the SDC rep was on the edge of her stool.

Penny nodded. "We can't mine here anymore, and we have to stop disturbing the rock. If we don't, the Grimm will continue to reappear just like the Dust. I think it's impossible to have one without the other."

The SDC rep laughed. "You mean to take away this entire city's livelihood?"

"No, I don't," Penny explained quickly. "But, it isn't good to stress the environment here this much. And, the faster we evacuate the citizens, the better. The more disturbances in an area there are, the more Grimm will appear. If we want to rebuild some day, we should leave now."

"Who made you the authority on the matter?" the SDC rep spat.

"I have no authority, but I hope you'll listen to me."

The governor pursed her lips. "What do you think of this, Ms. Nikos?"

Pyrrha snapped out of her thoughts. "Hmm?" Upon realizing that she'd been asked a question, her cheeks reddened slightly. "I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well," she said. "I'm not sure I can contribute anything useful at the moment."

The governor nodded. "I see. That's quite alright. Ms. Polendina, I hear you cannot feel?"

"That's right," Penny nodded.

"Then… perhaps this is unfair, but… Then you cannot feel the pain of losing something close to you. I have lost my city, and you ask me to leave our livelihood. Dust mixes, and what are we without Dust? The course of action you've suggested, especially without evidence to back it up, comes as quite the shock to me."

Penny furrowed her brow. "I can't say I know exactly how you feel, but I can definitely feel emotions. I know what it's like to lose things that are very important to you. So, please don't think that I'm only saying this because of what I can't do. I'm saying this because of what I can. I don't want anyone to experience that pain any more than we already have. If you need proof… I'd be happy to—"

"Please. Perhaps we should save the rest of this conversation for another time," the governor interrupted. "When you're better rested. I'd like to focus on the short-term for now. After all, there are still people above ground in eminent danger."

/-/-/-/

Sun put down Penny's report to Neptune. Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora were already asleep. "So, you think this fungus or whatever has an aura? And, it's everywhere, so killing a lot of it in the explosion released a ton of Grimm?"

Penny sipped some coffee. "Yes."

Sun whistled. "How did you figure that out?"

"I thought about it," Penny replied.

"You guys are really something else... What do you think its semblance is?"

"I'm not sure."

"Huh." Sun squinted. "Well, I dunno, do plants and stuff even have semblances? They don't have any brains to activate them with." He scratched his head, then the area around his knee. "That reminds me. Did you have a plan to prove all this or is it just a hunch?"

"I'm sorry, I haven't thought of one yet."

"Oh, I wasn't expecting one or anything," Sun backtracked. "Hey, maybe I could help! I can't do much with my leg like this, anyway."

"Thank you, Sun," Penny smiled, "but I think we should wait for the others to get better first."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Sun yawned. "I'm beat. You going to sleep soon?"

Penny glanced at her coffee. "I'm not sure."

"Uh… I think I know the answer that one," Sun said. "I know you can't feel, but shouldn't you, I dunno, take care of yourself a little more? Everybody needs to sleep."

Penny set down the coffee. Her hand shook slightly as she did so. "It's very hard to sleep when you don't feel tired." She took a deep breath. "I'll make sure to get some rest right after I finish editing this report to King Neptune, okay?"

Sun eyed her. "Okay… Don't make us worry about you. We've got enough on our plate as it is what with the entire city blowing up."

Penny saluted. "I promise I won't let you down!"

Sun smiled, then headed for the door. "Alright. Night, loser."

/-/-/-/

When Pyrrha's region arrived weeks later, many of the bunkers had already been evacuated thanks in large part to PNRPS' efforts. It had taken a while for all five Hunters to return to fighting condition, but they made up for lost time out in the field. As far as many of the residents were concerned, they were heroes.

After the army set up camp, the citizens of Mountain Glenn began addressing the situation as Neptune's War. Their city was both a casualty and a salvaged entity, and they wanted the Hunters to lead the charge in reclaiming their homes.

Neptune, however, had other plans for PNRPS.

In a letter the substitute lieutenant handed to them, Neptune asked them to continue researching natural occurrences of aura and its relationship with Dust and Grimm. He also formally called to shut down the mine until more information had been obtained, and had compiled a list of areas for the Hunters to investigate.

No doubt, his original reservations on them going out alone had left him when Penny sent in her findings. Curiosity has a way of calling out someone's daring nature.

That night, under a starry sky, the Hunters left for an infested lake south of Mountain Glenn, marking the first kingdom-sponsored investigative team sent to look into Dust, Grimm, and aura without religious or economic considerations in mind. A tradition, they hoped, would continue. Had these subjects been further investigated earlier in the kingdom's history, the tragedy at Mountain Glenn could have been avoided.

Neptune's War was, therefore, still in its preliminary phases. Team PNRPS was confident that victory loomed in the future, but the realization that there was so much more to learn was intimidating. Could they figure out both long and short-term solutions to Grimm infestations before the entire kingdom became like Mountain Glenn?

Only time would tell… Luckily, as aura users, the odds were in their favor.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: The Caravan


	20. The Caravan

~~AAAND START!~~ (The Caravan)

Yang and Blake were about a day's journey from the temple when they spotted a desert caravan in the distance. They approached it with caution. The Grimm had been relentless, and had been known to create alluring mirages. Blake thought it was strange when she spotted a second Yang out on the horizon one day. Sure enough, the oddity ended in a drawn-out battle.

They had reached the point where a decent night's sleep was a luxury. One of the two adventurers always had to be on guard. Yang and Blake would sit back-to-back. When it was Blake's turn to watch, she would use the light from Yang's aura to read. She caught Yang reading a couple times, too. Trying to decipher Ulau'uen or working her way through Oobleck's manuscript for the second time. When they weren't reading, they spoke about whatever came to mind, or just sat in contemplative silence, waiting for dawn. Fighting was an everyday occurrence. If they didn't have aura, and if they didn't know how to dig up cactus tubers for water, they would have surely perished.

The caravan was a chain of eight spotted camels, all of which were lying down, none of which were attended by Faunus. A foul gust of wind threw sand and a loose shred of cloth their way. Yang and Blake equipped their weapons and activated their auras. The camels weren't just laying down, they were dead.

Yang knelt by one of the camels. Its skin had been eaten away, part of its legs had turned to sand, and its owner was likely the torn-up tangle of bloody fabric and fur just a few feet away. Yang grimaced. "Not a good way to go. What do you think happened here?" she asked Blake. "Grimm?"

Blake shook her head. "I can't say. The caravan is still in formation… It must have been a surprise attack." She looked at a partially melted skull and frowned. "We can rule out bandits."

Yang nodded. "There must have been a lot of enemies. Everyone died in the same way before they could break formation."

"I wonder who they were," Blake mused. She continued searching the corpses for any new clues, but there wasn't much more to go on. A multitude of small patches of dissolved skin, sand… The injuries were congruent with a lot of threats out here in the desert, but she was beginning to narrow things down. Because the caravan was arranged in a travel line, the attack must have happened during the daytime, which ruled out most nocturnal creatures. The size of the injuries ruled out any threats larger than her hand as well. It was likely an insect of some kind.

"Hey, I found some official-looking papers!" Yang called. She'd been checking through the cargo. "Ooh, and some money," she cooed. "Lots of it."

"I doubt they would have had time to hide it." As Blake neared, she spotted reptilian tracks in the sand, and bent down to inspect them. "I found some tracks," she said.

Yang came to her with the papers. "Any idea what made them?"

Blake narrowed her eyes at the claw pattern. "Grimm."

"Mm… I don't see any," Yang said, scanning the area.

"These tracks belong to Basilisks. They're nocturnal Grimm that turn corpses into sand. They'll probably be back tonight."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Huh. I guess this caravan is dune for."

Blake rolled her eyes, but smirked all the same. She stood and looked over the papers Yang had brought her. They were written in Ulau'uen.

"I think they're travel identification papers," Yang said. "Saying something about trading at an oasis."

Blake nodded. "I'm impressed you're learning the language so quickly."

Yang grinned. "Well, you're my teacher. What do you expect? You really know your stuff, Blakey." Her voice was warm, genuine. "I love that about you."

Blake stopped reading the travel papers and looked at her, unsure of what to say. Really, she was unsure of what was said. Or, rather, what context it was being said in. There was what she hoped was happening, and what was actually happening. Were they the same thing?

Yang brushed her golden hair behind her ear, then turned back to the caravan. "I'm going to keep looking for anything good. I mean, it's not like they'll miss it, right?"

Blake watched her go, feeling like she'd missed her chance. With mild frustration, she turned back to the travel papers. The caravan was heading for an oasis beyond the temple. Six of eight of the camels were carrying clothes and other retail items, while the final two were carrying supplies for the caravan. There was bound to be water in their packs.

She headed for the last two spotted camels. Large water canteens peaked out from underneath their pack coverings, but when Blake noticed one of the camel's legs had sunk underground, she froze. "Yang!" she warned.

Yang came running over with a bag of riches. "What's up? We got company?"

Blake pointed to the camel's leg with her sword. "That's an acid beetle's nest. We should go. There might be another one nearby."

"Hmm…" Yang pondered the situation. "But, there's water over there, right?"

Blake shook her head. "It's not worth it." Which was saying much, considering they were in the middle of the desert.

Yang took one more look at the caravan as a whole. "Yeah, I'd rather not deal with whatever caused this." She held up her bag of loot and scrutinized it. "You think we'll need any more money soon?"

"Temples usually take in travelers for free," Blake shrugged.

Taking that as a no, Yang threw aside the bag. Extra weight would just hold them back.

That extra weight also broke the surface of the sand, falling into a nest and crushing something at the bottom. Even though Blake was sure she was the only one who could hear it, both she and Yang grimaced.

"That… isn't what I think it is, is it?" Yang winced.

"Run!" Blake ordered, tearing off over the sand dunes.

Yang took off with her just as a swarm of tan acid beetles rose from their nest. The bag of heavy riches had killed their queen, spelling out a death wish for the two adventurers. "We should have been greedier!" Yang reflected, simultaneously surprised and amused that she'd ever have to say that.

"We can't get caught by that swarm. Killing them all will be no easy task. They're highly resistant to offensive aura!"

The tan cloud was steadily gaining on them. Yang killed one as it landed on her arm. "Yikes, these things are fast!" Another one flew into her mouth as she said that, and she had to bite it with her lioness fangs to kill it. Luckily, the beetle's acidic venom was produced on command, not stored in the body. Still, the taste of all its other juices had Blake gagging as well. Yang tried her best to spit it out without vomiting. "Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!"

And, as if their situation couldn't get any worse, a Nevermore completing lazy circles in the desert sun spotted them sprinting across the dunes and dove for them. They had to stop running to dodge the attack, which gave the acid beetles ample time to catch up to them.

The acid beetles showed the Nevermore the same hospitality is showed the caravan, latching on and dissolving its feathers and skin until it began the decomposition process. Yang and Blake barely had the upper hand. Blake was able to stun many of them with her aura, and Yang was able to burn up most of the venomous spit before it reached her skin, but they couldn't continue like this forever.

Their auras only marginally protected them or did the beetles any harm. The beetles had aura themselves, and used it to their advantage. If Blake or Yang wanted to kill the insects, they had to do so physically. That was almost impossible to do with so many of them.

Blake felt the prick and sting of a pair of fangs on her forehead, then the searing pain of acid on her side. It had eaten through her clothes and the first layer of skin. More beetles landed on her, turning the tide of the battle in mere seconds. Blake could sense Yang a ways away, going through the same, no doubt. She grit her teeth as more bites scored her back, screaming involuntarily when acid burned away the skin on her left elbow joint. There was no way she'd be swinging a sword any time soon… if she survived this.

"Blake!" Yang called out in alarm. "Hang on-" a cry of pain ended the sentence. "I hate this place!"

Blake's right ear fell victim to another bite. She tore off the beetle, tearing her ear in the process. A tear was better than acid eating her fur away. She rolled over the bodies of beetles she'd stunned, trying to get closer to Yang. If they used their auras together, they might have a chance.

They were too far apart, though. Blake could hardly keep her aura level up, not to mention move through the sand and small, hostile bodies. Her vision was obstructed to the point where she couldn't see Yang anymore. She knew she had to stay calm, but she also knew that, eventually, she'd end up looking like the Faunus from the caravan.

The wave of acid beetles was endless. Eventually, her aura went out, and she was subject to the full force of the venom. By the sounds of it, Yang wasn't faring much better.

Suddenly, Yang stopped screaming, and Blake couldn't sense her anymore. Suddenly, a black flame erupted from where Yang should have been, engulfing the beetles in a vicious conflagration. Blake could feel no heat, but its sheer offensiveness made a few of the beetles combust.

"Cull!" Yang roared in a tone of voice laced with something much darker.

Every last beetle dropped into the sand. Spheres of light rose from their inimical bodies, giving themselves up to the unforgiving flames. Blake could barely see Yang amongst it all. Two glowing red eyes pierced through the flames and lights. Strangely, even though Blake thought she should have been afraid, she still sensed something so completely Yang amid it all that she couldn't bring herself to fear. This unknown was far from comforting, but she didn't feel uncomfortable. Simply perplexed.

Even the whites of Yang's eyes glowed red. For a second, she held Blake's gaze, quietly contemplating something. Her mind and thoughts didn't seem to be completely her own, yet they were born from her, and would not act against her. Yang raised a hand and smirked as she snarled, "Liberation."

Black runes identical to the ones used by the Reaper appeared in the flames. The beetles' souls disappeared. Shortly after that, the flames did as well. Silence ensued.

The whites of Yang's eyes slowly resurfaced. Her golden aura returned. Eventually, her red irises reverted to their usual lilac. "Blake!" She ran over to where Blake was in the sand, then dragged her away from the beetles' corpses. When they were out of the mass of tan exoskeletons, Yang pulled her into a bloody embrace. "We're alive!" she laughed. Then, she yawned. "I blacked out for a second there. Did you save us?" Yang's eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. "Hey, I'm…" She yawned again. "Pretty tired. I think I'm gonna… sleep…" She slumped over.

Blake caught her, forcing all the questions from her mind. She needed to get them water and shelter. Needed to make sure they'd be okay. Taking tourniquets from their bags, she applied first aid. When she reached Yang's shoulder, she stopped. The Grimm scar had spread even further. At this point, though, she wasn't sure what that meant, or if it was as bad as she thought it might be.

Pulling her attention onto the next task, Blake frowned. The easiest way to get more water was to return to the caravan. However, if she ran into another threat, she wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight. Still… looking at Yang, she knew it was worth it. As for shelter, they needed to get away from the dead beetles if they wanted to avoid Basilisks. The temple was too far away to aim for, but there was a rocky outcropping in the distance. Most of the hostile creatures in Menagerie's deserts preferred the sand. The rocks, Blake hoped, would allow them some cover for as long as it took them to rest.

With that plan in mind, she did her best to hide Yang from view, then left for the caravan.

/-/-/-/

Yang awoke at sunset, her head in Blake's lap. Blake had lit a small fire using junk from the caravan. They were in a rocky crevice that almost counted as a cave, sheltering them from the desert wind, which brought a deadly chill at night.

Blake smiled at her when she blinked the sleep from her eyes. "Morning," she joked.

Yang grinned back. "Hi, Blakey. I had this crazy dream that we were being chased by a bunch of beetles, and then I felt this…" Except, that wasn't a dream. "Oh… What happened to us?"

In a surprisingly few amount of succinct sentences, Blake told her what had happened.

Quickly sitting up, Yang pulled off her jacket and removed the bandages over her Grimm scar. It had only spread a tiny bit, but it felt colder and more visceral than ever.

She'd pulled souls from their bodies, just like the Reaper had, and she didn't even remember doing it. Her flames had turned black again, and she didn't even remember it. She groaned.

Blake sat on her knees in front of her, offering a large, roasted lizard. "Are you hungry?"

"No…" Yang mumbled. "Thanks, though." It felt like her abilities were spiraling out of control, one killing spree at a time. First, Neopolitan, now this… What if they'd been facing bandits? "Blake, what's happening to me?" She leaned back against the rock and screwed her eyes shut. "When I was unconscious after the rebellion, I had this dream where I burned away everything I care about… You, Ruby… even myself. At this rate, without even knowing I'm doing it, I might make that dream a reality one day. And that's what scares me about all this. More than turning into some Grimm. I don't even understand where all this is going. What it's leading up to. I keep losing control of my powers. Who knows what'll happen next."

"Your dream won't become reality," Blake said quietly, setting aside the lizard.

"How do you know? Look at me, Blake!" Yang snapped. "I just ripped a thousand souls from their bodies, then sent them off to who-knows-where!"

Blake's ears flattened. "But, Yang… you saved us." She shifted to look Yang more fully in the eyes. "You… are the embodiment of strength. You protect who you care about, not hurt them. Your abilities are just another part of you. Even if you can't control them. So, your dream will never become reality. And, even if you were to lose who you are... Yang, if you're the harbinger of the end, I welcome the epilogue."

Yang blinked, staring at Blake long enough to make them both blush. "Blake, I-" She looked away and cleared her throat. "Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that."

Blake held her gaze. It… didn't feel right to hear that, as nice as it was. It felt like… there was something else Yang wanted to say instead. Or, maybe she just wanted it to be that way, but… "How much?" she breathed. Anticipation froze time moment she asked. Her eyes were glued to Yang's.

"H… Huh?"

"How much does it mean?" Blake repeated, voice barely above a whisper. "To hear that."

"W-Well… I mean…" Yang stuttered. "You…" She swallowed thickly, then averted her gaze. " I, uh…"

"Yang," Blake called.

Yang jumped a bit. "Blake, I don't think this is… What do you even…?"

Blake didn't respond.

After what seemed like a year or two, Yang sighed, shoulders falling. "It's no secret that you mean a lot to me."

Blake's eyes widened. Her heartbeat sped up. This could be…

"Like, a lot, a lot. I think I'd do anything for you. Give up anything I had to." Yang took a breath. "So, I'm happy to hear you have so much faith in me." She paused. "And… I want you to know that I have faith in you, too."

"Yang," Blake said somewhat forcefully. "Is that it? You have faith in me?"

"Yeah," Yang replied a little too lightly. A moment later, she hung her head. "Actually, no, it's not." She growled in frustration. "I don't know why this is so hard for me when it comes to you. I guess I just don't want to change anything."

"Why?"

"Because… I might change it for the worse," Yang admitted.

Blake exhaled quietly. "Change it."

"Are you-"

"Yang. Change it," Blake demanded. She pushed herself forwards, moving closer until she was inches apart from Yang.

Yang looked like she might die of inner turmoil before she altered anything. Then suddenly, all of that fear disappeared, and it felt like she was suspended in air. Her resolve came back to her in that moment. "Okay," she whispered, slowly leaning in…

When their lips met, it felt

Like fire.

/-/-/-/

For once, Yang awoke before Blake. She packed up their items, made a light breakfast with what they had, and waited patiently for Blake to stir. Eventually, her patience was rewarded. "Morning, Blake," Yang smiled happily.

Images from last night immediately came to mind, turning Blake's face a bright red. She almost couldn't believe it happened. It seemed more dream than reality. She didn't exactly know how to feel, but there was a stark absence of regret. And, she certainly felt much better than neutral. Physically and emotionally. She settled on pleased. Happy, even. Perhaps prideful.

"I packed up and made breakfast. I'm guessing that after last night, you're pretty hungry," Yang laughed.

Blake nearly choked on her yawn at that. Even if Yang was right, that was a rather straightforward way of putting it. Then again, there wasn't much use in beating around the bush anymore.

She sat up and stretched. Much to her disappointment, Grimm speckled the sand dunes on the horizon. That really put a damper on the mood. Well, it should have, but it didn't.

Even if she had to run from a whole continent full of Grimm, Blake doubted much could bring her down. To her satisfaction, the look on Yang's face seemed to say the same.

/-/-/-/

They made it to the temple around the dinner hour. It seems they'd found the right place, too. There was a package waiting for them on top of an "X" outside the gate. Yang's scarf and a note were neatly folded inside.

 _Time passes quickly_

 _Learning what one can is best_

 _Whilst they are waiting_

Yang flipped the note over, but there was nothing on the back side. "What are we waiting for?" she wondered.

Blake inspected the "X". It was made out of charcoal. "We'll find out soon enough. The note said time will pass quickly. We shouldn't have to wait long."

"Right," Yang nodded. "And, I'm guessing that by 'Learning what one can' it means…" Yang's eyes lit up. "We could be Harmonists!"

Blake smirked. "You? A religious figure?"

"Well, we could at least learn the ropes while we help out around here. Sounds fun, doesn't it?"

"Not really."

Yang laughed. "Well, then, I guess we'll just have to make it fun," she winked.

Blushing, Blake followed her inside.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Love


	21. Love

~~AAAND START!~~ (Love)

Blake stood on the edge of the porch with one hand on Gambol Shroud as it hung from her robe's belt. She and Yang had been given traditional Harmonist's clothing, consisting of tapered dark brown pants tied off with tan leather, and a tan robe with brown designs fastened with a belt or sash the same brown as the pants. A purple tassel indicating Blake's aura's element hung from her neck, fluttering in the dry wind. She was barefoot, and could feel granules of desert sand slowly eroding the stone porch whenever she walked.

The temple itself was a simple, single story compound. It had the minimum of eight rooms and six Harmonists. The temple's master was unusually young, but stuck to the traditional schedule without exception. Every morning at dawn, the Harmonists ate a light breakfast in silence. Then, they left their shared living quarters and moved to the first room for meditation.

Meditation started in half an hour. For now, Blake surveyed the empty courtyard. It had been so long since she'd stepped foot in a temple. The familiar architecture brought back memories of training before she'd joined the White Fang.

The White Fang took traditional fighting techniques and distorted them for their own lethal gains. Blake could hardly remember the techniques' original forms, and nowadays, she used the White Fang's variations sparingly. The resulting gap in knowledge left her feeling disconnected and melancholic. In an effort to force their ideals onto others, the Faunus of the White Fang had destroyed their own culture. Now that Blake had disowned the White Fang, she was left with almost nothing from her past.

And, if she wanted to return to her roots, she had to hide her own identity.

Closing her eyes and knitting her brow, Blake drew her sword slowly. The way her parents had taught her to so long ago. It felt awkward and inefficient, but also… right. Menagerie was affecting her more than she'd thought. Making her sentimental about things she'd thought she'd buried.

Running through what she could remember of the first sword form, she returned the blade to its sheath and resumed her still position on the porch. If she listened closely enough, she could hear a group of Grimm howling in the distance, but they almost never attacked temples. Because of this, temples were commonly known as Harmonic Grounds. Of course, it was also why Harmonists were called Harmonists.

Blake scowled. She would only ever be called a traitor. A fugitive.

After brooding for some time, she heard Yang stir in the guest room behind her. Her lips automatically curled upwards despite her overall mood. Yang had missed breakfast three days in a row because she'd slept in too long despite Blake's best efforts to wake her. Getting Yang awake before sunrise was like trying to convince the sun to pull the tide. Luckily, the Harmonists ate again in three hours, so she was never hungry for long. Still, Blake was considering getting creative with her methods…

Yang got up from their shared hammock and ambled towards the sliding door. Pushing it aside, she wrapped Blake in a sleepy hug from behind. "Mornin'..." she mumbled, relishing every last second of lingering slumber.

Blake's melancholy melted away and she relaxed. "You're up late again," she teased lightly. Not that she minded mornings like this.

Yang didn't bother with a coherent answer, pulling her closer and nuzzling into the crook of her neck instead. She was trying to fall back asleep.

"Yang," Blake reminded.

"What? We have time…"

"Not very long."

"Mmm… well, then maybe you could help me wake up?" Yang requested.

Blake exhaled in feigned exasperation, then spiked her aura. Lately, Yang had been claiming it gave her energy. As far as Blake knew, she'd never had that ability, but new things had been happening a lot recently. Even events that probably should have been questioned seemed almost ordinary.

Yang laughed happily and kissed her on the cheek, drawing out a faint blush.

"Thank you. How are you feeling this morning, Blake? You eat yet?"

Blake thought about it, a sly smirk sneaking its way onto her face. "No. Actually… it's a bit chilly this morning," she said suggestively. The desert heat would build soon, but temperatures between sunset and sunrise could get down to thirty degrees.

Yang smirked back. "I can help with that," she replied, raising the intensity of her flames.

Blake allowed herself to bask in them for a while, feeling her muscles relax. The two watched the empty courtyard, lost in their own thoughts. A sun bird landed on the temple roof. A gust of wind disturbed the thin layer of sand surrounding it…

When the half hour was almost over, Blake kissed Yang on the lips, letting it linger. "Meditation starts soon," she reminded, drawing away. Such intimate behavior among Harmonists—even honorary ones—wasn't exactly pious.

"Ugh, I forgot about that," Yang pouted.

Blake laughed, heading inside. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Mm… not really," Yang admitted, closing the door behind them. "I kept dreaming about a goat."

"A goat?" Blake repeated, intrigued. "What about it?"

"It ate a snake." Yang wrinkled her nose. "It looked worse than it sounds."

Blake could only imagine.

Yang lit up. "Hey, speaking of things being worse than they sound, how's your elbow?"

The flesh was still raw and tender, but at least a lower layer of skin had returned.

Yang shook her head. "I wish I could help it heal faster… I didn't get any that bad."

Blake re-bandaged the wound and shrugged. "We just need to give it time." It hurt, but she'd rather be hurt than dead.

At that, they headed to the meditation room.

/-/-/-/

Weeks passed and Blake's wound healed. Yang was able to tell the moment it happened, and the two sparred in the training room to celebrate. Sparring, however, quickly escalated into other activities…

All in all, Yang would call it a productive evening.

That night, a nightmare woke her up. Well, not a nightmare per say… More of a feeling. She carefully rolled out of the hammock. Luckily, Blake wasn't waking up any time soon.

The sliding door to the courtyard was open.

Yang exited the room through it. The courtyard was still empty. She wandered to the center of it. The broken moon shone down on her. It seemed larger than usual.

"I was beginning to think you'd never be ready," a woman said, breaking the silence. She was standing on the roof where the sun hawk had landed earlier.

Yang immediately equipped Ember Celica. "Who are you?" she demanded.

The woman jumped from the roof as if it were nothing and met her in the middle of the courtyard. "My name is Raven Branwen. I'm your mother."

Yang's eyes widened. She lowered her fists. "What…?"

Raven tilted her head forwards a fraction of an inch. "Yang, we have a lot to talk about." She sounded sincere.

And, Yang could tell she wasn't lying.

/-/-/-/

The cold woke Blake up in the middle of the night. Yang was gone.

Instantly uneasy, she got out of bed and grabbed her weapon. She could sense Yang in the courtyard, but something didn't feel right. The sliding door was open… Blake walked outside. What she saw instantly spiked her aura.

Yang was in tears, and an older woman Blake had never seen before stood with a hand on her sword. The two looked similar. Almost like family. However, this woman was clearly not an ally.

Blake stood between the two, glowering at Raven. "Who are you?" she demanded.

Raven watched her, somewhat surprised, somewhat impressed. She turned her attention back to Yang. "Well?"

Blake unsheathed her sword and growled. She wasn't about to be ignored.

"Blake, wait!" Yang said. There was a beat of silence, then anger washed over her. Yang took a step forward. "You… abandoned me! Do you know what it was like to grow up wondering—"Her voice cut out. "Wondering what terrible things about you could possibly make your own mother leave? I searched for you for years, but you never cared enough about me to show up even once. And now you want me to just—what—walk away from everything I care about because you suddenly need to use me now? Screw you, Raven! What about when I needed you?" she shouted. "I thought there might have been a reason why you let me grow up without you. Why you would wait for eighteen years of my life to show up—but, you're just a bad mom!"

Blake couldn't hide her astonishment. This was Yang's mother?

Raven frowned. "I may have made choices you don't agree with, but this isn't about me. This isn't about you, either. Are you coming or not?"

"No! I'm not going with you! Choices I don't agree with?" Yang repeated, incredulous. "Is this just a business deal to you? You left me!"

A monk opened the sliding door to their sleeping quarters. "What is going on out here so late at night?" When he spotted Raven, he gasped. "Red eyes! A Branwen!"

Moments later, all six Harmonists had Raven surrounded.

"Leave this place, depraved one!"

"As soon as I get what I want," Raven said.

"Yang's not going with you," Blake spat, though she was unsure as to what exactly was happening.

Raven didn't respond.

The Harmonists rushed her.

Raven took a shallow breath, then cut them all down. The temple master flew through another sliding door and crashed into whatever was beyond it. The others simply fell to the ground—some in pieces.

"What… Why would you do that?" Yang cried, shaking with anger.

"Was I supposed to let them kill me instead?" Raven inquired.

Blake felt nauseous.

"Yang, please. We don't have time for this. You can hate me all you like, but you need to come with me. If not voluntarily, then… I'll have to take you by force. This is probably difficult for you, but there's no helping it."

Yang equipped Ember Celica. "I'm not. Leaving."

Raven nodded. "Very well. From here on, I cannot guarantee your safety." She attacked, aiming straight for the vitals.

Blake, who had never really stepped away from between the two, blocked the first swing. She made eye contact. Those red eyes… They were just like Yang's, and yet polar opposites.

Raven stepped back for a moment. "You must be Blake," she said finally. "I should thank you for helping Yang get this far… but now is not the time to protect her from fate. Step aside."

Blake scowled. She could sense she was in over her head. Nevertheless, she readied her sword.

Raven pursed her lips. A moment later, she lunged. Even though Blake was ready for it, Raven was too fast. Before she could register what was happening, she was on the ground, coughing up blood.

"Blake!" Yang screamed.

Raven sheathed her sword and stepped away, waiting.

Blake had sand in her eyes, and her blood stained the courtyard. She tried to push herself up, but the gaping slit in her abdomen made it feel like she was pushing up only one half of herself. The other half wasn't about to be persuaded to go anywhere. Her upper body hit the sand again with a wet thump.

Suddenly, Yang was at her side, carefully flipping her over, trying to burn the wound closed. Blake wasn't like Yang, though. She was fragile. She'd lost too much blood as it was. Why was this all going so fast?

Yang held her close, sobbing, saying things Blake could barely hear.

A thought came to mind. She'd never told Yang that—

Blood streamed out of her mouth when she opened it. Yang was begging her to stay. To conserve her strength. Anything. They could both taste the red, irony liquid. Time was short.

"Nn…" Blake furrowed her brow. "Yang," she rasped.

Yang tried to shush her, but she wouldn't allow it.

Color was fading from everything, and the night was getting colder.

Blake gathered up all her energy and smirked as the hopelessness of it all hit her. Still, she had to say it. She had to say it simply because it was true.

With her last breath, she whispered, "Love… you."

Yang's heartbroken face abruptly cut to black.

/-/-/-/

Raven raised an eyebrow as Yang's flames erupted in black and gold.

"She didn't have to die," Yang snarled lowly. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her irises were a perfect red.

The intensity of her aura melted the courtyard sand into impure glass. Maybe Raven should have done this sooner if it meant she could begin to master her powers. Unfortunately, the golden flames dominated her aura, and the black flames subsided. At least it wasn't all a waste. "Why are you so angry?" she asked. "You can still save her… if you're willing to make a deal."

Yang hesitated.

"My semblance is creating contracts," Raven explained. "I saved you once before, though you don't remember it. In order to give someone what they desire, I take what they value most in proportion to their request. If you create a contract with me, I will allow your flames to heal her." Raven glanced at Blake on the courtyard floor. "In exchange, you will come with me, and you will never see her again. If you do, the healing will be reversed. Do you agree to these terms?"

Yang opened her mouth, then closed it, then gritted her teeth.

"You don't have long to decide."

"I agree," Yang said. "To your terms."

Raven nodded. "Go and heal her body. I will retrieve her soul." At that, she opened a portal to the Void and stepped in. Finding Blake's soul wasn't difficult. There weren't many recent black ones floating around. Coaxing it out before it disassembled and merged into the Void's structure wouldn't be difficult, either. As long as there was a portal leading to Yang, Blake would go to her. Love was like that.

When Raven returned from the Void, Blake's body was almost fully healed. A light scar sealed the gash on her torso. It didn't take long for her soul to find her body, either.

People had developed such a stigma for raising others from the dead. As long as the corpse was fresh, however, it was a simple task. A person was only made of two parts.

"Say goodbye," Raven said quietly.

Yang clenched her fists. She knelt down, sighing in relief when she heard Blake start to breathe. "I didn't want it to end up like this," she said. "But, I'm glad you're okay… I can't even think of a pun right now, so… Say goodbye to Ruby for me. And Weiss, I guess. And everyone else. I don't know what's going to be happening, but… I probably won't be seeing any of you again…" She paused. "And, Blake? I love you too. I think since I met you, I've loved you." She laughed. Swore. Choked on a sob.

Raven opened a portal to Mistral. "Let's go."

Yang got up reluctantly, looking back and lingering in the gateway before walking in completely.

The portal closed, leaving the blood-soaked courtyard in the care of the broken moon.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

AN: Hey, everyone! If you're wondering why I'm posting so much at a time these days, it's because I won't have time to do it otherwise. I've become pretty busy recently, and I don't want to leave you guys hanging. So, I'll be uploading the rest of the story when I can manage... Until then, deuces!

NEXT: The Beginning of the Epilogue


	22. The Beginning of the Epilogue

~~AAAND START!~~ (The Beginning of the Epilogue)

Waking up felt like returning from a taxing journey. Blake's body didn't feel entirely her own. The sand in the courtyard scratched at her skin, the night's chill was almost overwhelming. She slowly opened her eyes. The moon stared back at her.

Without warning, Blake was overcome with unbearable loneliness. An invisible weight pressed the breath out of her. She searched the courtyard sand around her with an empty hand, but all she found was glass and Gambol Shroud. What was she even searching for? Her memories didn't feel entirely her own, either. They were foggy, skirting around the edges of her consciousness like mice in an abandoned building.

A sound had been ringing through her head for some time. A memory, maybe a dream.

" _Blake!" Yang screamed._

Yang. Urgency, fear, and warmth wracked through her. Images of Yang flooded her mind. Yang smiling, Yang fighting, Yang laughing, Yang crying-

Yang sobbing for her as she died in her arms.

Blake sat up as quickly as her foreign body would allow her to. The longer she spent trapped in it, the more she was convinced it was hers.

There, staring at her from a few feet away, sat a Basilisk. Water dripped from its mouth, turning to ice as it hit the sand.

Blake remembered her own transience in that moment. Whether she was dead or not, here existed a creature that could destroy her. She made quick work of it with Gambol Shroud, finally claiming her body. More Basilisks crawled out from behind the corpses of the Harmonists.

Blake activated her aura. Another memory flickered by.

" _What… Why would you do that?" Yang cried, shaking with anger._

" _Was I supposed to let them kill me instead?" Raven inquired._

Seven Basilisks later, Blake collapsed in the blood-stained sand, gasping for breath. Everything was getting clearer. Searing heat bloomed from her abdomen to her chest. She gripped the light-colored scar she didn't remember getting, shaking from exertion.

The unfamiliarity, the complexity, and the uncompromising loneliness of her situation frustrated her beyond description. Tears stung her eyes. Where was Yang? Why couldn't Blake sense her no matter how far she pushed her aura?

" _Say goodbye to Ruby for me. And Weiss, I guess. And everyone else."_

Blake screamed, just to hear her own voice. To break the building pressure. She remembered Raven, she recalled her own past. The more she remembered, the more she felt hopelessly abandoned. Left behind.

At the fever pitch, the storm broke.

" _And, Blake? I love you too. I think since I met you, I've loved you."_

Reality crashed down around her. Yang had been stolen from her.

She was alone in the middle of Menagerie. Raven had killed her. Yang had revived her.

Blake closed her eyes and focused.

Raven was a Branwen, the equivalent of a demon to the Faunus. And, hell was on Remnant. In Mistral.

What Raven did was unforgivable. Blake needed to find Yang.

Blake needed to get to Mistral.

/-/-/-/

Raven sat across from Yang, quietly drinking coffee. Yang wouldn't look at her. It had been two days. Not a word had passed between them, but something was constantly shifting.

Yang looked down at her fists in her lap. "Why did you do it?" she demanded. Her voice was so quiet that it sounded like a different kind of silence.

"Do what?" Raven asked, setting down her cup.

"Why'd you lead us halfway across the globe just to tear us apart? Why that temple? Why Menagerie? And you keep telling me about the Void and Keepers and these powers I'm supposed to have, but…"

Raven watched her for a moment. When it was clear Yang had nothing else to say, she answered, "It was never about the destination, Yang."

Yang's eyes flashed red. "Then what was it about?" she roared. She felt cheated. Played.

"I've already told you that."

"You're sick."

Raven raised her eyebrows, though she was unamused. "Perhaps." She clapped to call in a servant to refill her coffee. It was cold. "Are you disappointed?" she inquired, though she wasn't all that interested in Yang's response. It was just a thought that crossed her mind.

Yang didn't respond, and glowered at her hands instead.

The door opened. Emerald came in with a pot of fresh coffee.

She and Yang locked eyes. Some time passed, over which Yang looked less and less surprised, and increasingly disgusted. She stood abruptly, then left the room.

Raven watched her go, then glanced at Emerald, who was watching the door as she filled the cup.

Exhaling, Raven shook her head. "Maybe she'll respond to you."

Emerald made a face. "I don't want to talk to her."

"Someone needs to."

"You haven't really tried."

Raven narrowed her eyes.

Emerald groaned, setting down the pot of coffee then heading after Yang.

/-/-/-/

Yang stood in the prayer hall, seething. If she killed Raven, the contract would be reversed. If she left, she would be easy to find. How could this woman possibly be her mother? Sure, Yang had thought of unpleasant scenarios. Maybe her mother wasn't well or was in trouble or got scared of raising her… but, to be capable of murder? To murder Blake? Blake of all people!

It had only been two days, but Yang felt like it had been an eternity. By the end of it all, it would be an eternity, too. They could never see each other again. Yang was still processing what that meant.

Ever since Blake decided to go adventuring with her, Yang had just assumed they would always be together, and now… something she hadn't considered possible had become reality. It stung. Things felt hollow. She wanted to tell Blake about things that happened to her, what she ate for breakfast-or refused to eat for breakfast, that she'd seen Emerald, that she missed her… She really missed Blake. She was done being alone here… At least Blake was alive. Yang could only hope she was safe.

A wave of emotion hit, but she was determined not to cry. Not until she knew she was alone. Right above her, a statue of Raven stared down at the prayer hall. One hand rested on her giant broadsword. The other was at her side, holding a bleeding heart. "Raven. Keeper of Despair." was engraved below it.

Yang channeled her hurt into rage. Raven knew what she was doing the minute she stepped into that courtyard! Aura flaring, Yang punched the statue's right leg with everything she had. The leg blew outwards, destabilizing the structure. She watched in satisfaction as the statue crumbled to the ground.

Emerald stepped back before the heart crashed into her, then scowled.

Yang took one look at her and scowled back. "I thought you were dead."

Emerald shrugged. "Guess not." She walked up to Yang, red eyes squinted in spite. "I heard about what happened in Menagerie… At least you were able to save her," she hissed. A moment later, her conviction seemed to waver. She turned away. "This part of world has existed for far longer than you know."

Yang watched her angrily. She didn't ask to be shown like this.

"Listen, all of this would be so much easier if you just do what Raven wants. This is your life now. The sooner you accept it, the better."

"I'm not going to just-"

"Fine. Forget I said anything," Emerald said abruptly. "I'm sure you'll reach the same conclusion in a matter of time, anyway."

Yang took a step towards Emerald, daring her to make a threat. "What do you mean?"

Emerald looked her up and down. "I meant what I said. Don't read too much into it." At that, she left.

Yang wished there was another statue to punch.

/-/-/-/

That night, Yang had another dream. This time, a black lion ate the goat, which was still bloody from eating the snake. Yang turned away from the gruesome scene only to see an equally disturbing image in a conveniently placed mirror. A Grimm mask covered half her face. Her eyes were red portals. Her skin was blacker than a shadow's shadow. White bone formed armor over her naked body.

Sleep was becoming a mere memory these days.

At breakfast the next morning, Raven sat across from her again, eating fresh offerings from a nearby village. "Nightmares?" she guessed.

Yang couldn't stand the sound of her voice. It was so monotonous. Did she even feel at all?

"You're turning into a Grimm… but you don't have to. Keepers were born in order to use the darkness to preserve the light. I could show you how to use that other part of you… if you'd only agree to train with me."

"No more contracts?" Yang growled sarcastically.

"Not unless you'd like to make one." Raven took a sip of coffee. "You may not be able to see your lover again, but you have the ability to save the world. Why are you so reluctant? You are the only person capable of destroying Archdemon."

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you killed Blake right in front of me."

Raven watched her for a moment, the nodded. "If you'd like to send her something… I could arrange that."

Yang looked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"If you learn to open portals, I will allow you to send her a package. The contents are up to you. Otherwise, the contract forbids you from directly communicating with her."

"You think that's enough to make me into your pet?" Yang asked disgustedly.

"You wouldn't be my pet. You'd simply let me train you. What you do after we're done training is up to you." Raven's expression turned serious. "Yang, the Grimm you harbor within you is incredibly rare and very powerful. The Chimaera can either be your greatest tool… or the quickest path to your own destruction. In the state you're in now, the latter is more likely."

"Chimaera?"

Raven smirked. "The name is self-explanatory. You should know what it means." Her amusement faded. "You resist because you've been torn from your loved ones, yet your inaction will lead to their demise. If you don't do this, all of your efforts to protect them will be in vain." She stood and left. "If you're ready, I'll be waiting for you in the prayer hall… where my statue used to stand."

Yang slammed her fist down in frustration, cracking the table she was sitting at. Even if she had a choice, she knew she didn't really have a choice.

She would have to go with Raven.

/-/-/-/

Raven opened a portal and stepped inside. When Yang entered behind her, her jaw dropped. She hadn't seen the Void when she was traveling to Mistral, even though she'd gone right through it. The portals connected too seamlessly.

Now, Yang was faced with something she'd never even think to dream of. She was surrounded by waves. On one side of her, they were every combination of blue, red, purple, and green. Dust's four colors. On the other side, the waves were empty. It was like there were no waves, yet an essence pooled at her feet and scared the light away. An absence rose and fell like the tide on Remnant. There was no sky save for the absence of the sky. There were no other things to be sensed save for everything that could be sensed.

Yang was humbled by such a vast expanse of that ephemeral structure, which lived and breathed as one, yet was as disjointed as a country without language.

"This is the Void," Raven said. A few bright lights appeared on the horizon, then faded into everything else. "All souls, Dust, and Grimm are born here. At one time, we think Remnant may have been a part of the Void… or maybe Remnant is a projection of the Void. There's no way to be sure."

Suddenly, Yang wheeled around, searching the vast expanse of waves. She thought she'd sensed Blake, but, of course… she wasn't there.

"The Void is everywhere and nowhere. Time passes the same here as in the real world. In a sense, they are mirror images of each other. What is in Remnant can be sensed here, and what is here can, at times, be sensed in Remnant. The Faunus call this place the Soul."

Yang tried to look deeper into the waves, but her gaze could not pierce them. She knelt down and touched them, but she could not feel them.

Raven opened another portal. "Come. It isn't good for you to spend long here in the beginning."

"Why?" Yang asked, distracted.

"If you feel the urge to join the souls here, resist that urge. The Void is incomprehensible. It will speak to you and appear to you in ways that draw you in. If we didn't share the same blood, keeping your sanity here would be impossible."

Yang was more curious than anything. She wasn't sure if she wanted to stay, but she didn't want to leave yet. She dipped her hand deeper into the waves. "You said it appears in ways that draw people in. Does that mean everyone sees something different?"

"Yes."

"What do you see?"

"A forest," Raven answered simply.

Then, she lifted Yang up and dragged her out of the Void.

Back in the temple, Yang sat atop the statue's rubble, squinting at the prayer hall. Everything around her seemed to be too hard-edged, but it also wasn't defined enough. All the scents were too faint, but they were too distinct. She was picking up sounds, but they got lost on the way to her brain. She could taste her own tongue, but it didn't taste like anything. Everything she touched had a clear shape, but wasn't very strong.

She picked up a piece of stone and it turned to dust in her fist. It was hard to tell if she'd lost control over her muscles or not. She didn't know how much force she was trying to use.

Raven returned with a stick of incense, which slowly brought Yang back to normal. "You'll get used to it," she said. She handed Yang a mirror. "For now, practice activating your semblance for long periods of time. In order to open a portal, you need to be able to control it at will."

Yang wasn't sure how a mirror was going to help her with that, but she took it anyway. As her thoughts cleared, she reflected on what Raven said in the Void. A lot of questions came to mind.

Raven beat her to it. "Before you ask any questions, listen closely. You should never bring someone without red eyes into the Void. Their beings can't interpret what is around them, and they will lose their minds. Their bodies will also be altered."

As soon as she finished speaking, Raven drifted off into her own thoughts.

Yang nodded. A moment later, she remembered she was furious with Raven, and turned her gaze to the mirror instead. "How can Dust and Grimm come from the Void when they're the physical manifestation of your soul?"

Blinking out of her musings, Raven ran a hand through her long, black hair. The unruly curls-almost identical to Yang's-immediately returned to their original position. "You can think of the Void as a piece of fabric. In order to create a soul, you must cut pieces of the fabric and sew them together. It doesn't matter which pieces you take, so long as you have them. When a soul dies, its components usually return to the larger swath of fabric. When that same soul dies out of balance, its pieces are exchanged instead. Shards of light or dark are called from the Void and into Remnant. The original pieces of fabric return to the work.

"The only way soul matter ever transfers from the Void to Remnant is through a matter of request. As long as there is a legitimate body to request a soul, one will be sent. The Void is infinitely full and cannot run out of matter to give. However, it is also empty. When a body dies, its soul will return to the Void. If all the souls on Remnant were to return, there would still be space to fill in the Void.

"Beyond that, we know very little about the Void and its workings and relations. There are things I have yet to teach you… but we'll save those for another time. I'm leaving for the day. Let a servant know if you need anything."

Yang watched her leave, then turned back to the mirror. Cloth, huh…? So, every living thing on Remnant was made out of the same base. Discrimination against the Faunus made even less sense when Yang looked at it from this angle. Her mind went to Blake. How was she doing? Was she okay out there in the desert? If the Void was everywhere and nowhere at the same time, Yang had been right next to her, yet further away from her than ever. When she was in the Void, did Blake sense her, too?

Yang stared at the mirror in her hands, but she wasn't really looking at herself. Time passed slowly here. She sat there for what felt like hours, yet the sun never seemed to move.

Eventually, evening came, and the door to the temple opened. A young man walked in carrying a crate of fresh cucumbers. When he saw Yang sitting on Raven's destroyed statue, his face fell. "Lady Raven! Af drangam!" he wailed. More people were entering the temple behind him, all carrying various treasures. When they heard him, many began to cry.

Yang could only understand bits and pieces of what they were saying. They seemed to think she had killed Raven, then taken over her temple. Yang snorted. She wished. When warriors started pouring into the prayer hall to avenge Raven, Yang realized she should probably explain herself.

Just as Yang was about to say something, Raven walked out from behind the rubble. The worshippers gasped, then threw their weapons aside and bowed.

"Lady Raven!" the man with the cucumbers exclaimed. "Yemf rekeinden ouf quam."

Raven held up a hand to silence the other worshippers, who had started to speak as well. She walked forwards and accepted the crate of cucumbers. Her servants collected the other goods. Once that was completed, she glanced towards Yang. "Yemf roye bal," she said dismissively.

The worshippers nodded profusely. They looked very pleased to hear that.

"Speaks?" a child asked.

"Standard," Raven replied.

The worshippers nodded again, then rearranged themselves. "Lady Raven!" one of them began with a heavy accent. "What is the name of your daughter?"

"Yang."

More nodding. They discussed something amongst themselves. "Lady Yang!" the same person called out. "We apologize for our rudeness earlier. In order to be counted in your good graces, we would like to make an offering. Is there anything you desire?"

Yang wanted to see Blake and Ruby, but that was impossible for them to do anything about. "No," she answered. "Don't worry about it."

"You are kind! But, we must do something. Have you seen the capital before?"

"No…" Yang had been to smaller port towns in Mistral, but never the capital. Getting travel permits for large cities in Mistral was difficult due to the political instability of the area.

The worshipper clapped happily. "Ah, and have you seen much of your mother's domain?"

"No, I haven't."

"Then, please allow us to take you to the capital! We have business there. You see, we are traders. We will show you around this country so as to make you feel more at home! Does this appeal to you?"

Yang smiled and laughed a little awkwardly. "Thanks, but I-"

"She will go," Raven interrupted. "And, so will I."

The worshipper cheered. "Wonderful! Allow us only two days to prepare."

"We'll leave tomorrow," Raven corrected. "Don't prepare many luxuries."

The worshipper bowed low. "Of course, Lady Raven. For your protection, anything. We will return tomorrow morning."

Raven watched them leave with a neutral expression.

"What was that all about? Why tomorrow?" Yang asked bitterly.

"I want you to see what being a Keeper is really like. The sooner the better," Raven responded. "Get some rest for tomorrow. You won't be idle." She left.

By the time Yang turned back to the mirror, her eyes were already red with rage.

Just who did Raven think she was?

~~AAAND STOP!~~

AN: A song for waking up without yo' gurl: Dillon - 4ever

Hey! Long time no see! So, I've made the story rated T… After editing "The Caravan," I've decided I could get by with a T rating. No one's eyes will bleed… Really, I wish the guidelines were more clear. Oh well. Not like I'm describing the color of entrails or anything.

NEXT: Hubris


	23. Hubris

~~AAAND START!~~ (Hubris)

The desert was like another world. Another Remnant. Blake could travel all she wanted, but it was as if she was looping around a small globe. Every sand dune looked familiar. Every beast, whether it had a soul or not, knew where to find her. She was like the speck of dirt on a cartographer's masterwork. The desert seemed intent on wiping her out.

If Blake hadn't been raised in Menagerie, she would be dead by now. Old folk stories proved truer than their tellers might have thought. Unorthodox ways to find food, ways to conserve water and stay cool…

And, if Blake wasn't being attacked every half mile, she might still survive.

She was trying not admit this to herself, but she was running out of supplies. Maybe she could think of solutions to these shortages if she was allowed any rest. Honestly, all she had energy to think about was where her feet were pointing.

Of course, she was always thinking about Yang. She couldn't tell if it was a particularly cruel version of a mirage, but sometimes, it felt like Yang was right next to her. No matter how hard Blake searched the horizon, however, all she could see was the interminable ocean of sand.

Blake pressed on into the heat. Her feet had gone from making light prints in the sand to dragging out two small trenches. Still, she needed to keep going. There was no turning back. There was nothing to go back to. Unless she pressed forwards, she'd never reach the capital. If she never reached the capital, she'd never get on a ship to Mistral, and if she never did that… She might as well fall victim to the Death Stalker running towards her right now.

Cursing under her breath, Blake drew her blade, dual wielding it with her sheath.

The Death Stalker didn't know what hit it.

/-/-/-/

The scenery from the road was much better than at the temple. Mountains and hills created a rich texture to the rocky green landscape. Even when the road was surrounded by the white and grey cliffsides, it was still thousands of times better than being trapped in a building dedicated to Raven.

Yang traveled at the front of their group while Raven made up the rear. The traders showing them to the capital gave directions and supplies. They'd even provided the black plume goats Yang and Raven rode on-an animal used exclusively by Keepers in the area. Protection in exchange for everything else. As an adventurer, it was a concept Yang found easy to get behind.

However, she quickly realized what Raven meant when she said Yang wouldn't be idle.

Every time a Grimm appeared near the trail, Raven would send her after it alone. Then, Raven and her worshippers would watch Yang fight as if they were at a colliseum. Some of the worshippers even ate snacks as they watched.

It was so irritating that by the third battle, Yang's semblance was activated before the poor Boarbatusk had any idea it had been spotted. "What, so you're just going to sit there and watch?" Yang yelled at Raven when she returned.

Raven raised her eyebrows, unimpressed. "Do you have an issue with this?"

"Of course I do!" Yang bellowed. "Some help would be nice! Can you get down off your goat for like two seconds before I get thrown off a cliff?"

"No."

Yang roared in frustration, kicking a nearby rock. Her foot plowed right through it.

"You should try to hold on to that feeling," Raven said. "We have a long way to go until we reach the capital. Fatigue will be a more formidable foe than the Grimm." She signaled for the group to keep moving.

Grumbling, Yang mounted her plume goat and resumed her position on the trail. Fighting like this would be easier if Blake was with her. Then again, Raven had taken Blake from her, just like she'd put her in the middle of all this. There was nothing Yang would love more than to drown Raven in the empty waves of the Void, but she'd been had. Now, she was just being strung along. If there was anything Yang hated, it was the loss of freedom.

Something reflective on Yang's plume goat caught her eye. Somehow, someone had placed a hand mirror on the reins. Her eyes were still red. This must have been some kind of activation time record, but Yang was too angry to calculate how long she'd been like this. It wasn't at all tiring… In fact, it was satisfying. Just in case the others had any doubts about how she felt about them…

Then, she remembered that Raven was probably the one who had requested the mirror. That Raven was trying to get her to use her semblance. Yang threw the mirror as far away from the trail as possible. After that, she tried calming down, but she was too pissed.

As she was brooding, a young boy ran up beside her plume goat. "Lady Yang!" he called. "I help!"

Yang blinked out of her ire. "Huh?"

The child held up a slingshot. "I help!" His little legs were working double time to keep up with Yang's plume goat. It wasn't long until he tripped.

Yang gasped, stopping the group to help him up. He wasn't hurt, but the shock of his fall had him bawling.

The boy's father ran up to Yang and started simultaneously scolding the boy and apologizing profusely in his native tongue. He was the one with the cucumbers earlier.

Yang smiled reassuringly, trying to remember some words from his language. She hadn't been to Mistral for years. After some effort, she strung together a rusty "It's good."

The man bowed lowly, thanked her, scooped up his child, and returned to the other worshippers.

That event marked a change in things. Before Yang knew it, her plume goat was being chased by all the travelers' children. Even if there weren't many, their innumerable questions raised quite the racket.

Raven silenced them, ordering them back to their families.

Yang hadn't minded them, and narrowed her eyes at the order. Still, from then on, she noticed she wasn't as mad about fighting the Grimm alone. She was also curious about the worshippers. From the looks of it, they were curious about her, too.

Some time later, the group stopped for lunch. Yang was worn out from all her fighting, but she was looking forward to talking with the worshippers. She had a lot of questions about Raven and their culture. Unfortunately, she wouldn't get the chance for discussion.

As soon as she'd eaten her rather luxurious lunch, Raven opened a portal to the Void and called her in. Yang was slowly getting used to the feeling of being there, but she still couldn't stay long. The second they returned to Remnant, they started traveling again.

At sunset, the group stopped and pitched their tents. By then, Yang was too exhausted to converse. The worshippers made sure she had everything she wanted before they left her alone for the evening.

"They've taken to you," Raven remarked. She was packing a small bag full of medicine and other items. After tying the bag shut, she opened another portal. "I'll be back by morning."

Yang wondered who the bag was for, but she also hated thinking about Raven too much to dwell on it.

That night, she didn't dream about Grimm or carnivorous animals. She dreamt about Blake.

In the morning, she couldn't tell which was worse.

/-/-/-/

On the third day of traveling, Yang noticed something about her semblance. She didn't actually have to be angry to activate it. It was more like her anger gave her the mental energy necessary to do so. There was a particular feeling of vigor in her blood when her eyes turned red. The more she focused on it, the less she was convinced it was as related to rage as she thought it was.

When Yang was angry, she called on the power locked inside her, but that seemed to be the extent of it. The angrier she was, the more of that state she could handle. Rage was just a convenient way to go about activating her semblance. It wasn't like she was thinking about fatigue when she was bashing skulls or tables.

If Yang focused on achieving that state of invigoration, she might be able to control her semblance at will. If she could do that, she'd be able to open a portal. Then, Raven would have to honor their deal.

Yang suddenly realized that she had no idea what to send to Blake. Water seemed like a good idea. After all, Blake was stranded in a hostile desert with no one around to help her. Yang wanted to send water, food, bombs, extra clothing and blankets, mercenaries…

Yang had faith that Blake could make it to a port town and head back to Vale on her own, but the desert always had other ideas. If Yang could, she'd send herself, but that would be breaking more than a few lines in Raven's contract.

There was also the consideration that this might be the only package she'd ever be able to send. Sending a letter and some water would help now, but what about years from now? Should she wait to send a package until Blake was in a better position to receive one? Depending on what she was able to scavenge so far, extra supplies might weigh her down. That said, not much other than water and a letter seemed good enough to send. Even if that sounded lame for a one-time package. But, if Yang waited, how long should she wait? What if she was forced to wait?

No matter how worried she was or how much she wanted to send something, she couldn't open a portal right now, so the deal wasn't active yet. What if by the time Yang learned how to open a portal, Blake was out of the desert? Or worse, what if she was dead?

Speaking of death, was Blake even doing alright? She'd come back from the Void... Resurrection had never been advertised as without consequence. Did Blake lose her memories? What if she didn't remember Yang anymore? What if she lost control over her body and was just… stuck in the courtyard?

Yang shook her head before she could continue down that path. The best thing for her to do now was to focus on opening a portal. She could figure the rest out later… Even if she worried, she couldn't do anything about it. She'd just have to trust, and try and push the rest from her mind. So far, she'd been successful enough at it. Her constant anger was a good distractor. Nights were difficult… but she just had to keep focusing on the future. For the both of them.

Raven stopped the group. "We'll camp here for the day. Yang, come with me. There's something I need you to do." Without waiting for a response, she dismounted her plume goat and headed off over the hills on foot.

Yang followed, tired of all these abrupt changes in schedule. Whatever grand master plan Raven had in store for her was more obscure than the reason why the moon was broken. Everyone seemed to have a story explaining it, but no one knew for sure if any of that was true.

After some time, they arrived at a cave. Raven scanned the small entrance, then tilted her head towards it. "There's a creature in here I'd like you to kill. It's been poisoning an important water source for a village nearby. When you're done, we'll deliver the final doses of medicine to those who've been poisoned, and continue on our travels."

Yang eyed the cave. "What kind of creature is this?"

"It's an amphibian not larger than we are, and it's a threat to the average warrior. How you kill it is up to you. It's not a Grimm, so you can steal its soul."

Yang glared at her.

Raven returned her look blankly. "I'm not here to help. Only to show you back to the road." She paused, thinking. "Before you go inside… It's been three days. What progress have you made on opening portals?"

Yang was already irritated, so activating her semblance was easy, but when put on the spot like that, she couldn't sustain it for more than a half a minute.

Raven nodded. "It doesn't take long to open a portal."

"But, how am I supposed to do that?" Yang questioned. "You never actually showed me."

"It isn't hard. Just imagine the Void, and break into it."

Yang scoffed. "You expect me to just punch my way into another world?" If it were that easy, she'd have done it by now.

"If you want to be there enough, you'll find the task simple. Eventually, you can skip entering the Void and simply pass through it. Even to places you've never been before."

What Raven was saying sounded so absurd that Yang almost found it funny. She shook her head, and headed for the cave.

/-/-/-/

No food. No water… The desert sun.

Hot days. Freezing nights… Sand that stretched on forever.

Blake's skin was burnt. Her eyes hurt. If the desert had a voice, it would be laughing at her.

Left foot, right foot… after an unknown number of these small advances, she would see Yang again. She thought about nothing else, but her mind was drifting…

A Grimm appeared in front of her. She stabbed it with her sword, then shocked it until it decomposed.

Left foot, right foot… No water. Yang.

Bringing a weak hand over her eyes, she scanned the horizon, unsurprised to find him here. Adam.

" _Your triumphs… Your failures… I'll be watching for them."_

She'd been fighting like him again. Her only means of survival. Was this a failure?

Left foot… No. She was convinced it wasn't.

Right foot. It had to be this way.

Just like she had to kill him?

No water. For someone with severed ties, she had so few choices.

Yang. Yes. She had to do it.

Adam frowned and pointed to his left. A water hole. Blake staggered towards it. She fell going down a sand dune, rolling to a stop at the bottom.

Was she going to fail?

Failure wasn't an option.

She threw her hands against the ground and pushed herself up. Adam walked to the other side of the water hole. He was just a mirage. He was actually a Grimm sitting there, watching her. Guarding her one chance at getting out of this place alive. At seeing Yang again.

Hubris. A Grimm larger than the water hole itself.

Blake cried out in frustration, gripping Gambol Shroud with shaking hands. Even if her soul was set on continuing, her body wavered.

Even if her body wavered, her soul would not let it falter.

Left…

The Hubris stood on its two hoofed hind legs and spread its four arms out. Each arm ended in a human-like hand and trailed back to its human-like body. It fell forwards, releasing a tremor as it poised over the water hole.

Its two heads, akin to that of gazelles with eight eyes each, silently warned her away.

Blake stepped forwards, lips pressed into a thin line. Right…

The heads spread apart. Sand fell from their nostrils. The head of a python emerged from the Hubris' spinal cord, slithering into place as the middle of three masks. The snake had no eyes.

Blake took another step towards the water.

The gazelle heads fell to her level, staring at her silently. Above them, the python opened its giant maw, and the desert sand began to vibrate.

With a scream bordering on feral, Blake ran forwards and slashed at the Hubris with Gambol Shroud. A gazelle head blocked both the sheath and the blade. The other bit the two, shattering them. Both of them rammed her aside. Blake hit the sand dune she'd slid down earlier. Her aura mitigated the damage, but the wind had been knocked out of her.

A sandstorm brewed. Wind speeds increased, visibility lowered. Blake focused on the sixteen glowing eyes in front of her. She crawled forwards on her stomach, sand pelting into her eyes, blasting her peeling sunburns. A rock struck her cheek. The sand stuck to the fresh blood.

She wasn't about to be stopped. She wasn't about to die. Failure wasn't an option.

Yang…

For someone so completely rejected by everything she'd ever tried to embrace, she'd finally found acceptance. Yet, that was ripped away from her, too. The world had a way of shattering her dreams.

She could still feel it. Yang's hand on her torn ear. Yang's forehead against hers. The heat blooming when their lips met. At times, she could feel Yang's soul beside her, yet she knew they were further apart than ever.

If her life was a book, and every chapter had purpose… If everything she'd encountered before lead her to Yang…

The winds increased. Blake could feel herself sliding backwards. She kept pushing on.

If everything she'd done; all her hopes, her shattered dreams, all the burdens she'd had to bear… If they all lead to Yang…

What was so wrong with forgetting a family that had forced her into exile? What was wrong with missing them to the point of heartache? What was wrong with choosing the path of an exile when she believed in her cause so deeply? What was wrong with joining the White Fang, with fighting the way they fought, with leaving the way she did? What was wrong with escaping to Forever Fall? What was wrong with saving Yang?

There was always someone around to tell her these things were wrong. At times, that person was herself. At times, it was the memory of others. But, Blake was tired of questioning right and wrong. There were things that were right, and there were things that were wrong, but asking which was which was often the wrong question to consider. If everything lead to Yang, she was proud of the life she'd lived. And she'd bear it all again. Love...

She'd reclaim it.

Failure was not-was never-an option.

Her aura spiked. She could feel it pooling, polarizing. She didn't care what she was, what she'd become. There was someone who accepted her. She just was. For years, she was afraid of judgement, even when she was convinced she was doing the right thing. She wore her bow for that reason alone. What a waste of time. There was no one without darkness at their core. And, few were without light.

She raised herself onto one knee.

Whatever blocked her from her goals, from her desires, could go to hell.

Yang's hand on her torn ear… her smile, her laugh, her tears, her embrace.

Left foot, right foot… Hubris.

Blake raised her hands. Her aura was so charged it was still. She touched the gazelle heads, and everything released. Her conviction was set in stone.

The Hubris' two heads exploded.

Its third tried to swallow her, but Blake blew that away, too. She didn't need Gambol Shroud. She needed water. She needed to get to Kuo Kuana. She needed to reach Mistral. She needed to see Yang. How she did that was secondary.

/-/-/-/

Yang punched, but missed again. She was fighting some stupid jumping salamander in the depths of the cave. When she first tried to get to it, she fell into the water it was swimming around in, and now she was wet, cold, and pissed off.

"Stop moving around so much!" she yelled at it, but it continued its crazed escape through the cave's tunnels. If it didn't glow in the dark, Yang would have lost it by now. She was still too wet to use her aura to light the way.

Steam rose around her and that familiar feeling returned. She could activate her semblance. Of course, that only made the jumping salamander even more desperate to make itself scarce. How could something the size of her forearm wreak so much havoc on an entire village?

Yang's flames were at full strength again, but she was out of range. All she wanted to do was roast the thing and get out of the cave, but that simple task seemed impossible when it could jump so far and so fast.

The cave's tunnels gradually led them upwards. Yang had the feeling that if they reached the end, there would be an opening to the landscape above ground. If the salamander made it to an open area, she'd lose it for good. Imagining that scenario was even more maddening. Her flames intensified.

Trying to grab it and missing for the umpteenth time, Yang knew she had to come up with a plan. Unfortunately, nothing she thought of on the spot was viable. Planning ahead had never really been her forte. She punched again, and to her surprise, her flames somehow obeyed her will and burst forwards. The short increase in range nearly fried the jumping salamander, but the beast managed to slip away.

Yang grinned ferociously. Now, she had the upper hand. As she blasted more punches at the salamander, her flames increased in range. She was getting the hang of this. No doubt, her semblance had everything to do with it.

The tunnel was brightening. Yang had to wrap this up. She aimed a final punch at the salamander, but it was expecting her attack. It jumped out of the way. Fortunately, Yang managed a quick follow-up jab that injured it. The salamander jumped away again, towards the light. "Oh, no you don't!" she shouted. She jumped after it and cooked it to a crisp with another flame burst.

The hunt was over, but Yang noticed something.

She was falling. The tunnel had led to a steep dropoff… She'd actually managed to fall off a cliff!

As she plummeted towards the ground below, Yang figured it was the perfect time to open a portal… but she still didn't know how.

But, if she could project mini explosions from her hands, she could probably punch a hole in the world.

Yang reactivated her semblance and punched the air. Nothing happened. Of course nothing happened. "Come on," she growled, trying again. "Now would be a great time to enter the Void!" She tried again. Again, nothing happened.

The ground was getting a lot closer a lot faster than Yang was comfortable with. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus on the Void.

She remembered the waves and how intriguing they were. How much safer it was in there than where she was now. How it was everywhere, but nowhere. How she wanted to drown Raven in it. How she could sense Blake in it.

Just before her semblance cut out, Yang jabbed ahead of her. Her fist brushed a blade of grass.

A golden portal opened and Yang fell into it, plummeting onto the top of the waves in the Void. Hitting at that velocity should have hurt, but Yang didn't feel a thing. When she realized that she'd just successfully fulfilled her end of the deal with Raven, she cheered.

When she realized she was in no shape to get out of the Void, she sobered up.

When she realized Raven was waiting for her to stand, she groaned in disgust.

How was Raven always one step ahead?

"Good job on opening your first portal," Raven said flatly.

"I don't need your praise," Yang returned spitefully.

"Do you know what you want to send to Blake?"

Yang didn't like Raven saying Blake's name. It felt like defamation. "If I asked you where she was, would you tell me?"

Raven was quiet for a moment. "She's nearing the edge of the desert."

Yang exhaled in relief. She should have asked sooner. Knowing that also made figuring out what to send Blake a different thought process entirely. "Okay… give me some time."

Raven nodded. "There's no time limit." She opened another portal. "The easy part of your training is over, but after we return from this tour, you can manage the rest on your own. Continue to practice the skills you've just learned… You'll need them in the future."

Even if that was true, Yang didn't want to hear that from Raven. And here she thought she might actually get along with her mother.

She had no idea it would be like this.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

AN: A song for traveling through the desert: XXYYXX - About You

NEXT: Cut Short


	24. Cut Short

~~AAAND START!~~ (Cut Short)

Blake was starting to understand the Grimm. Born from worldly desires, yet always moving towards an otherworldly goal. They went after disturbances, though they themselves were disturbances. In them was a twisted, paradoxical balance that Blake intuitively felt in everything else, too. Perhaps it was because she'd been to the Void, or perhaps it was because of her encounter with Hubris, but she could no longer see them as mindless creatures of darkness. She was even beginning to question their motive of destruction.

If anything, they seemed bent on preservation. Despair, grief, and pain were all stimulants of change and development. That the Grimm targeted those emotions… It was as if they desired the world to be in a state of balance. Without radical change.

Maybe old Faunus religious texts carried more truth than Blake originally thought. That Dust and the Grimm were not at all light and dark, and not simply wholeness and emptiness. An inseparable duo. Opposites without opposition.

It was funny. The moment she started to accept herself, she started accepting what was around her, too. And, it felt as though she was slowly being accepted as well.

The Grimm were attacking her less and less often. At times, she would even look one in the eyes, and it would stare right through her. As if she wasn't even there.

The Faunus had a saying: "There is more than one path to Harmony."

Blake didn't expect to find it in the middle of a sandstorm.

/-/-/-/

Yang and Raven had to leave their plume goats at the gate when entering Mistral. The capital was in another Keeper's domain, so law dictated they enter unannounced. The city itself had more sprawl to it than Yang had expected. A coliseum loomed in the distance, but for the most part, the buildings were all two stories high or less.

The worshippers gave her a grand tour of the major religious and political areas, which lasted most of the day. Finally, they took her to the market, and gave both her and Raven a bag of coin. Part of the worshippers' anticipated profits. Tomorrow evening, the entire group would meet up again and head home. That left Yang to do as she liked in the market.

It occurred to Yang that she was still in Menageran clothing. People were giving her strange looks. She decided to buy a new outfit with her coin offering, and wandered around the streets until a Schnee snowflake caught her eye.

Yang was inside the shop before she could consider going in. Carefully thought-out outfits, high-fashion armor, and a list of wildly expensive Dust upgrades greeted her. An extreme departure from Weiss' stock.

"You have unique taste," a woman said, appraising Yang's current attire. "I like it." She uncrossed her arms to extend a hand. "Coco Adel."

Yang shook the hand. She was happy to have a normal interaction for once. "Thanks. I travel a bit," she said, smiling a little. "I'm Yang."

"Well, Yang, it isn't often my clients make such good first impressions. What brings you in today? Anything I can help you with personally?"

"I'm looking for something completely new."

Coco nodded and looked her up and down, considering their options. "I can definitely help with that. What style are you shooting for?"

Yang smirked mischievously. "Anything I can fight in."

"A woman after my own heart," Coco noted matter-of-factly. "One moment." She headed into the back, then came out with another girl.

Yang was surprised to see she was a rabbit Faunus. That wasn't common in Mistral. Or, anywhere, really. Especially anywhere having to do with the Schnee family.

"Velvet, this is Yang. Yang, this is Velvet, one of my business partners. She's the tailor for our important clients. She'll help get us started," Coco winked.

"You certainly know how to flatter me," Yang laughed. Just for today, it felt good to be pampered. She wished Blake was here, too. She'd look great in some of these clothes… Yang even considered sending her some. She was probably recovering from her travels in a port town by now… Assuming the last stretch of the desert went well. New clothes wouldn't hurt. Especially if they were functional.

"It's nice to meet you, Yang," Velvet greeted, breaking her from her thoughts. She had an uncommon accent. Yang recognized it as from a region in Vacuo. Velvet had certainly risen through the ranks to get where she was. Like many regions in Vacuo, that region was well-known for poverty. The clothes in this boutique would be mere fantasies even to the well-off. "If you wouldn't mind following me to the back room," Velvet continued, "I'll take your measurements."

Yang followed her. On the way to the back room, she passed a woman with white hair and a familiar shade of icy blue eyes. Yang stopped, remembering why she'd entered the store in the first place. "You must be Weiss' sister," Yang said politely. "I'm Yang, Ruby Rose's sister. It's nice to meet you." Or rather, she was hoping it would be nice. Knowing the Schnee family, however…

Winter's eyes widened, but she quickly recovered from her shock. "Greetings, Yang." She bowed slightly. "This is unexpected… I would have preferred us to meet in a more formal setting, but I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. As you likely already know, my name is Winter Schnee."

Yang's jaw dropped. This was the complete opposite of Weiss. Or, Weiss grown up in every way. She couldn't tell which was a more fitting descriptor. Weiss had described Winter as petty and shallow, but Yang was having a very hard time believing that.

"I doubt you've traveled so far for a simple hello. Is there something you need?"

"Uh, no," Yang stumbled. She blinked out of it. "Actually, I'm just here for some clothes."

Winter looked at Coco and Velvet, then nodded. "I see. I know this is sudden, but if you're free, I'd like for you to join me for tea. We can sort out the matter of your attire later. If you don't mind, I have a lot of questions for you pertaining to Weiss."

Yang smiled. She understood what being away from family was like. "Sure, I've got time."

"I knew I was onto something with you," Coco mused. "We'll be ready for you when you've finished your tea."

"It was nice to meet you, Yang," Velvet said.

"Likewise," Yang returned. "I look forward to seeing you two later." At that, she and Winter headed upstairs.

They sat in a lavishly decorated white room with an excellent view of the city. Winter herself poured the tea-an expensive mint green-and sat across from Yang with her legs crossed.

Yang was still in shock. How could she be so different from Weiss?

"Has Weiss been receiving my letters?" Winter asked, skipping the pleasantries.

"As far as I know, she gets a few from time to time. I haven't been home in a while, though."

"I see…" Winter took a sip of her tea. Her expression was blank, guarding her emotions. "And, has she been doing well recently?"

Yang nodded. "You could say that. I think she and Ruby have been getting along better recently, but it's hard to tell with those two."

Winter nodded. They talked for some time about business and family. Apparently, Winter was releasing a line of under armor for Mistral's elite army officials that had protective Dust spells sewn into them. They acted as both a last resort and a measure of first aid. Yang had to respect her work ethic. Innovation like that didn't just happen overnight. It was clear that Winter was driven.

When asked questions about herself, Yang was reluctant to answer. She didn't know how much sense she would make, and she didn't want to reveal herself as a Keeper. Plus, if Ruby and Weiss were going to hear about what happened to her, Yang would be the one to tell them, not Winter. She could sense that Winter was suspicious of her reluctance, but she didn't seem to be drawing any hasty conclusions, which was nice.

At the end of tea, Winter stood and extended a hand towards the door, signaling for them to leave. "I wish to thank you for your time," she said. "Where are you staying?"

That was a good question. Yang wished she knew herself. At least she had coin. "Probably at an inn. I just got into town, so I haven't been able to get a room yet," she answered honestly.

"There's a place two blocks west of the market called Gladiator's Respite. It's unimpressive, but rather charming. Tell them I sent you, and they'll give you an acceptable rate."

"Thanks, but you don't have to-"

Winter held up a hand. "I won't allow anything less. It's only appropriate." She continued without waiting for Yang to respond. "As for your new outfit, you won't pay a cent. Consider it a token of both friendship and appreciation."

Yang left that conversation convinced that Weiss still had a lot to learn.

After meeting with Coco and Velvet for a few enjoyable hours, she completed an order for a custom-made outfit. It would be ready for her to pick up tomorrow. With all that said and done, Yang was eager to get some rest. She made her way to Gladiator's Respite.

The ordinary name certainly did not match its luxurious appearance. Yang was given a dirt-cheap rate at what was clearly one of the finest inns in Mistral. It was almost enough to distract her from the fact that she was alone. That Blake was a continent away.

Suddenly restless, Yang practiced keeping her semblance active before drifting to sleep in her room's plush, king-sized bed. It felt way too spacious, but it was better than sleeping on the rocks beside the road to Mistral. She hoped Blake had found a good place to stay for the night, too.

As per usual, her dreams offered little comfort.

/-/-/-/

The next morning, Yang was more than ready to test out her new outfit. Coco had offered her a spar once they'd made all the final adjustments, and Yang was always down for a good fight.

When she got to the boutique, however…

It had been destroyed.

The entire building was in smoldering ruins. People were running away from it, screaming things about a Dust explosion. Yang's adrenaline spiked, and she ran towards it all, fighting the crowd to get a better glimpse. The authorities had yet to arrive.

Yang started searching through the ruins. To her horror, Winter was dead. Her corpse was next to the body of a man holding rune equipment, presumably her rune master. They were charred to the point where they were barely recognizable. Horror-stricken, Yang moved on, shouting for Coco and Velvet.

"Over here!" Velvet called out.

Yang ran over to her. She was weeping and caked in Coco's blood. Coco had been crushed by debris in the explosion.

"She needs help!"

Yang shook her head. There was no way Coco was going to make it. Even if she had aura, too much of her was gone. "Velvet, she's…"

"Yang, please! We have to save her!"

The light in Coco's eyes faded.

Velvet froze, then broke into uncontrollable sobs.

Yang knew what it was like to watch a loved one die. She did her best to shield Velvet from the growing crowd. Eventually, she knew she had to get her out of there. She tried to help Velvet up, but she was pushed away.

"No, you can't make me leave her!"

Yang noticed fresh blood on Velvet's side. "You're hurt," she realized. "Velvet, we need to get you to a doctor."

The crowd was getting bigger and louder. "Who's that Faunus?" they whispered. "Dirtying that corpse with her paws… could she be the killer? A thief?" As if they couldn't see the pain on Velvet's face.

It took everything Yang had to keep her cool and get Velvet out of there. They were unable to find a Faunus doctor, so Yang did the best she could to stitch up her side on her own.

By the end of it, Velvet looked like a hollow shell. "I went to deposit some money into the bank. When I came back…" She stifled another sob. "Thank you for patching me up. I'm sorry to have been such a burden."

"You weren't a burden," Yang answered.

Velvet nodded slowly. Her eyes were dull. "You don't have to worry about me. I have the legal right to whatever money was in that bank account. Enough to move far away from here… So… at least I won't go hungry… I just can't… Who could do such a thing? Who would-" she started crying again.

"I won't stop until I find out," Yang said, and she meant it.

Velvet composed herself and hugged her arms to her body. Her ears drooped. "Maybe it's best if you don't. I'm afraid of what you'll find."

"What? Why do you say that?"

"Things like this happen all the time here. We have a lot of enemies and rivals. Some closer than others… It's not your fault. Finding who did this isn't going to bring them back. And, besides, I'm sure there will be a formal investigation. Don't endanger yourself any further."

"Velvet…"

"Yang, I owe you a lot. You've been so kind, and I really wish I could do more to thank you… but, I'd really like to be alone right now."

They were in the middle of a park. Yang couldn't tell if that was a good place for a Faunus to be alone in Mistral, but she decided to obey Velvet's wishes. "If that's what you want…"

"It is." Velvet looked like she was going to cry again. "Thank you."

"I'll be back later," Yang said.

Later, when she returned, Velvet was gone.

By that time, Yang had to go. She could feel her freedoms grind to a halt. It was like a chain was reattached to her neck and yanked taught. Even though she wanted to search for Velvet, even though she wanted to look for more clues, she had to return to the group.

She had to return to Raven.

/-/-/-/

Kuo Kuana was more crowded than Blake first remembered it being. Cramped street corners were now jam packed with an overflowing population forced to live in the small plots of habitable land Menagerie had to offer.

She kept her head low and bought a cowl from a street vendor. Anything to disguise her black ears and golden eyes, her identity as a Belladonna. Getting caught here meant death without trial. But, she needed to get to Mistral, and this was the only town in Menagerie with reliable port service to that kingdom.

Before she did anything else, though, she needed food. Real food. Sand rats and sun lizards were hardly satisfying. Blake walked towards an old market she used to go to with whatever money her parents had given her when she was younger. It was by the port, and it was the only market in town at the time that had both a book stand and a fish vendor.

For old time's sake, Blake approached the fish vendor. Her prices had raised, but Blake had more money than she did as a child, too. She knew she had a higher likelihood of getting caught at a place she used to frequent, but she wanted to be here anyway. Blake trusted that her cowl and the years between now and her last visit would keep her safe.

Finding a large tuna fish that was surprisingly well within her budget, Blake made a grab for it. Yang would probably have seduced the vendor into paying less-or nothing, but Blake didn't have the skills for that. She didn't want the skills for that.

Just as she was about to grab the majestic fish, she bumped hands with a stranger going for the exact same thing.

Blake narrowed her eyes. This meant war.

She glared at the woman going for the tuna fish, posturing to intimidate. As soon as she saw who it was, however, her jaw dropped.

"Blake?" the tired-looking woman gasped.

So much for the cowl.

Wrinkles formed around the woman's mouth, dark circles pooled under her eyes. Her clothes were slightly disheveled, her hair had lost a lot of its sheen.

Blake couldn't believe her eyes. "Mom…?"

Kali Belladonna dropped her basket of cheap foods. "Oh, Blake!" She pulled Blake into a warm hug. "I knew you would come home!"

Blake didn't know what to make of this. She'd considered the possibility that she'd get caught, but… she'd never considered this.

/-/-/-/

Weiss was attending a gala with Ruby, speculating on Neptune's War with a group of Atlas nationalists, when she was pulled aside by her father. An express message had come from Mistral.

Winter had been assassinated.

Weiss just stood there with her champagne, staring blankly at her father for a good minute. She couldn't hear what people around her were saying. The white in the room seemed institutional.

Finally, she shook herself out of her shock and excused herself from the room.

The Schnee family was no stranger to assassinations and terror attacks. Even with the White Fang gone, there were a lot of people who would love to be able to say they stopped a Schnee's heart. But, there was something so irrational about what Weiss had just been told. She couldn't comprehend it. It was like there was a flaw in the statement's logic that kept her from accepting it.

Winter had been assassinated.

Weiss stared at the glass in her hands. She hadn't realized she'd brought it with her. It was empty-she'd forgotten to keep it upright. The leftover golden drops fell onto the stone floor outside the ballroom. Weiss trained her eyes on it, but she didn't really take it in. Some of the champagne had gotten onto her pant leg. Seeing the small stains was pleasing.

For a moment, she felt like throwing the glass on the floor, but she was too bent on watching the last few drops of champagne dribble into the tiny puddle at her feet.

"What is she doing?" a guest whispered, pretending not to stare at her. "She's disturbing me."

"I don't know. Come on, let's go in," another said. The two shared an amused look. "Have you heard about the dessert here? They used premium plume goat cheese from Mistral!"

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Then, I must try it!"

"I know. Now, come, come!"

They entered the ballroom, laughing all the while.

Weiss narrowed her eyes at their backs. She was disturbing them? They were disturbing her! Could they be any more petty? Oh, the desserts, the desserts! Who cared about the desserts? Who cared about any of that? What even mattered here? It was just a stupid gossip party! Nothing important was ever accomplished at these things; it was just a place for people to pretend they were important for a good four to six hours. Weiss was tired of it. She was tired of all of it. Of them, and of Atlas' pointless social customs. How dare they act so carefree, so entitled to idiocy, when Winter was-

"Weiss, what's the matter? You never came back," Ruby said, concerned. Weiss hadn't seen her approach.

"I'm fi-" Weiss stopped, disgusted with herself. "Winter was assa-killed. She's dead." The words tasted bitter.

"You mean your sister? Oh, no, Weiss, I'm so sorry!"

Weiss looked at the champagne glass in her hand again. "We weren't very close."

"But, she was still important to you, right?"

Yes, she was. Though, Weiss would never had admitted that before now. She couldn't answer Ruby.

"Weiss…" Ruby sat next to her.

For the remainder of the gala, neither of them moved. They just sat there in silence.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Home From the Past


	25. Home From the Past

~~AAAND START!~~ (Home From the Past)

Kali brushed the dust off her clothes and clapped her hands as soon as she stepped in through the door. "Would you like a glass of water, Blake? Oh, maybe some cream? I've been saving it for a special occasion," she enticed with a smile.

Blake scanned the house. It wasn't at all how she last remembered it. Save for the table and some cushions, it was completely empty. She forgot herself in the moment. "Mom, what happened here…? Where is everything?"

Kali, who had gone to get a pitcher of infused water, returned with a serious look on her face. "Please, sit down. There's so much I want to say to you, Blake. I've been waiting for so long to tell you so many things, hoping I'd get the chance… So, please." She raised the pitcher. "Cucumber mint?"

Blake quietly sat down and removed her cowl. She didn't object to the water.

"What happened to your ear?" Kali cried, running over to fret over the tear in it.

Blake's ears went back. She leaned away from her mother. "Acid beetle," she said curtly.

Kali stopped. After a moment, she seemed to wilt, her ears and shoulders drooping. Her gaze fell to the floor. "Blake, I'm so sorry. Your father and I never-"

"There's nothing to explain. You and the Rings exiled me. Thank you for letting me stay here for the night. I'll leave in the morning."

"Blake…" Kali sat down. "What we did was unforgivable, I know… Your father and I are faced with that fact every day. When you joined the White Fang, we didn't know what to do. We thought threatening you with exile would bring you back to your senses, but you always were so stubborn," she said with a wry smile. "By then, there was nothing we could do to stop it-to stop you… I can't explain how it felt when you left us, Blake. Your father and I were devastated. You were our baby girl, our little kitten… And, you still are. Nothing can change that."

"Six years changes a lot of things," Blake seethed, eyes narrowed.

Kali nodded somberly. "We realize now that we should have just accepted you. Talked to you. Anything. We were so preoccupied with the Rings back then that we were blind to the needs of our own daughter. I regret that every day of my life," she said, voice saturated with emotion. "Your father and I realized our mistakes too late, but when we did… We tried to file for Reacceptance, but we were denied.

"At the time, the humans saw all Faunus as an extension of the White Fang, and Kuo Kuana's trade was suffering. Even with your father in the Outer Ring, we couldn't get both Rings to reinstate your citizenship. We fought long and hard… We ended up losing our jobs, burning bridges… Our family name lost its social rank. We had to sell everything we had in order to have the money to support ourselves… Every day felt like punishment for our terrible decisions.

"And then, the White Fang fell, and we received news from Adam Taurus saying you had died in the attack. I can't even begin to describe the pain I felt when I heard that. I thought, 'If only we'd been able to bring you home…' But, I also knew there was no way you would have stopped doing what you believed was right."

Blake's eyes widened. "Adam contacted you?"

"Yes… Does he know you're still alive? Have you been travelling with him? You two were inseparable back then..."

"He's dead. I killed him. And, I faked my own death. To escape the White Fang…"

"Oh, Blake… You've been through so much," Kali lamented. "Please, I know I don't deserve this… But, would you… consider staying home a little longer than one night? I want to hear more about these last six years. About why you're here."

Blake wanted to decline. After all, she had to get to Mistral. But, she couldn't bring herself to say no. Part of her wanted to linger here… to stay home for a while. Even at a place that had turned her away so long ago, hearing her mother's heartfelt apology was… Well, Blake had desired this moment when she was younger.

She was too intent on acting tough to admit it at the time, but she'd missed home. She'd never wanted to be exiled, but she was too wrapped up in the White Fang's idealism to choose another path.

Still, that was when she was younger. If forgiveness wasn't that simple back then, it certainly wasn't any better now. Blake couldn't answer her mother. There were too many emotions swirling around in her head. Anger, pain, hope, the vestiges of familial love, and more pain. A bitter tonic.

"You don't have to answer me right now," Kali said. "Your father will be home tomorrow afternoon. I have to go to work soon, but you can rest if you'd like. Even though we were forced to sell everything else, your room is untouched. There are pots and pans in the kitchen as well. After all, I'm sure you must be hungry. If I didn't have to go, I'd make that tuna just the way you like it..."

Or, the way Blake liked it six years ago.

Kali smiled. "Every once in a while, I go to that fish vendor. I know you liked it there. I felt somewhere deep in my heart-even if it was silly-that it might lead me to you."

Blake stared at her cup of cucumber mint water on the table, unsure of what to say.

After her mother left for work, she cooked an adequate meal, then walked to her room. The sprawling halls of the huge compound seemed eerie and dreamlike. There were no furnishings, there was no art. It could have passed for abandoned.

Everything her family stood for was gone. Their rank, honor, influence. When Blake was younger, this was what she wanted. Now, Blake was too tired to care. She found her room. It was just as she'd left it. Crowded with books. Texts in Ulau'uen, manifestos, and poetry… They were ancient relics, now.

Her dealings with the White Fang had started long before her parents knew. At first, it was just a type of exhilarating rebellion. Secret meetings and messages. Some of those messages were hidden in the poetry scattered about her room. Others were sent using night pigeons… Back then, it was still so innocent. Back then, there was no blood.

Blake collapsed onto her futon. She was exhausted. Even though she was still covered in sand and grime, she couldn't really bring herself to care.

That night, she dreamed of the past, but… her last dream, the one she remembered most, was about Yang.

Yang was smiling, leading Blake up a mountain pass. They were talking as they walked. It wasn't about anything in particular, but it made Blake's heart both overflow with warmth and feel painfully empty at the same time. When they reached the top of the mountain… the view was stunning.

/-/-/-/

Weiss sealed the last of the documents, and placed them in the mail bin for a servant to take care of later. Neptune had asked for a special trade agreement to provide Dust for his war on the Grimm. Enough Dust to power an entire war was no small matter. However, it was nothing Weiss couldn't handle. She'd been training for this her entire life. All the new zeroes next to her and Ruby's account statements were a testament to that.

Her numbers had finally surpassed what Winter had achieved…

In truth, she'd always imagined this accomplishment to feel a lot less hollow. All those zeroes, all those new duties she and Ruby were charged with, and all those old tasks they now passed on to well-paid employees… Shouldn't Weiss have been just a little bit happier? Just a little more proud? Isn't this what she'd wanted since… since birth?

But, Winter was dead.

And, if anything, her father had only grown colder.

Weiss exhaled. She didn't like Winter. She detested Winter. It had been that way ever since Winter had left for Mistral. Maybe it had started before then, too. Before Mistral, Weiss had always looked up to Winter. Everything she did was perfection. If ever she faced a challenge, she met and conquered it with perfect form. But, things started to change a few months before she left. She'd grown distant… suddenly, it was like Weiss didn't exist anymore. No… it was like Weiss' existence was a burden. Like everything Winter had worked so hard for-all that perfection-was a burden. Weiss just so happened to be aligned with it. Weiss was just an afterthought.

That hurt more than anything.

And, to top it off, Winter became so shallow and conceited. Even though she was a great fighter, she chose to go into fashion. Even though her family had wanted to see her, she never returned home for the most flippant of reasons. Weiss would never respect such an abrupt one-eighty. Her affection for Winter hardened into coal. Coal that fueled disgust and loathing; a fire that sought to burn away the pain of losing her role model. Her trusted sister. She'd been betrayed.

Now, Weiss had really lost her. Winter had been assassinated. She'd betrayed her trust twice now.

And, the second time hurt much, much more than the first.

Weiss dipped her pen into black ink, then examined it. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the metal tip. Her white hair, her blue eyes… Just like Winter.

Weiss sighed. Then, collecting herself, she returned to signing paperwork. Weiss Schnee. Even her last name was the same. Well, of course it was, but after Mistral, Winter seemed like a completely different entity. Like she was bound by a different set of rules entirely. Leaving Weiss behind like she was worthless…

No matter what, Weiss would always hate Winter for that. Especially in death.

/-/-/-/

Blake gazed at herself in the bathroom mirror. She was just out of the bath, and her hair was still dripping. After finally washing off the desert's grunge, she couldn't stop staring at it. Her scar. The pale line ran from the bottom of the left side of her ribcage to the right side of her hip bone. Its edges were so clean that the cut looked almost surgical.

To think she'd actually died. She'd actually made it back from the Void.

Yang must have brought her back, though Blake didn't have the slightest clue as to how. She couldn't even consider herself lucky. Currently, her life was analogous to being dragged through poisoned thorns by an unidentified higher being.

She lightly touched the scar. The new skin was highly sensitive, but it didn't feel different from the rest of her body. Exhaling, Blake dried off and slipped into her usual attire, which she'd packed from the temple.

After exiting the bathroom, she crossed paths with her father. He, too, looked older and more fatigued than six years should allow for. He stopped in the hall and narrowed his eyes, then looked around, as if judging whether or not she was a mere apparition. Eventually, he took a step forwards. "Blake…?"

"Hi, Dad," Blake said, feeling somewhat out of place.

Before she knew it, she was being crushed in a hug. "Welcome home."

Considering the fact that she was in exile, that statement was rather ironic. Blake nodded anyway.

"Have you seen your mother yet?"

"Yes, we met last night."

"While I was at work?" Ghira crossed his arms and grunted, clearly displeased that he hadn't known sooner. "Has she told you about our current situation with the White Fang?"

"What?" Blake puzzled. "She told me you both lost your jobs, but I didn't hear anything about-What do you mean 'current situation'?"

"Come with me, Blake. Everything will be clear after the meeting."

"What meeting?"

"Your mother hasn't told you yet?" Ghira frowned. "I don't know why she would wait…" He started off towards the courtyard. "When we lost our jobs, we were forced to become common laborers, but we never let go of all of our ties to the Rings… You'll have to wait to hear the rest."

They continued in silence, but as they walked, Ghira became increasingly uncomfortable.

"How… have you been, Blake?"

"Fine."

"That's good… You've grown taller. Have you continued training your aura?"

"Yes."

Ghira nodded. "Blake, I-Why have you come home? I-I thought you'd…"

"Died?"

"That you would never return to the family."

Blake nodded. "Mom found me at the market. I'm actually on my way to Mistral."

"Mistral? Why there?"

"There's someone I need to meet up with…" Blake trailed off, thinking of Yang again.

Ghira eyed her. "So, you've fallen in love. Is it someone from the White Fang?"

Blake felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She looked away. "She's… The sooner I leave for Mistral, the better."

"So, it's serious."

"Yes."

"She's not a dog Faunus, is she?" Ghira demanded suddenly.

"No." As far as he was concerned, it was much worse than that.

Ghira nodded. It was clear that he had more to ask, but he held himself back. They reached the courtyard and entered a hidden chamber through a trap door. It hadn't been there six years ago.

There was a locked circular room at the end of a long tunnel. Judging by the number of locked doors in the room, it must have been the center of a network of tunnels. Ghira was never one for extreme secrecy. What had happened to make him construct something like this? Especially with where he was financially. The project couldn't have been easy to afford.

Other people were in the room. One person from the Inner Ring, at least three from the Outer Ring, business moguls, Ring representatives, and warriors sat in silence. The Inner Ring was both the legislative and judicial institution in Menagerie's government, comprised of fifty Faunus from various backgrounds. The Outer Ring was responsible for diplomacy and the bureaucracy, of which there was also fifty members. For them to be at an unofficial meeting like this was no small matter.

"This is my daughter," Ghira announced. "You are all aware of her previous involvement with the White Fang."

"Perhaps she can answer some questions for us, then," an Outer Ring member mused.

"She is not yet aware of the situation here."

"Then, by all means," they said, outstretching their clawed hands. "Tell her."

Ghira and Blake took a seat in the circle.

"Old leaders of the White Fang have renounced their ties to the organization. Because of this, they are exempt from exile, and they've been using this to their advantage. They used their political limelight to maneuver their way into the Rings. Corruption is rampant… These Faunus, who were largely responsible for the White Fang's eventual shift in ideals, have been exploiting Menagerie for their own personal gain."

Blake frowned. Why couldn't the White Fang just stay down? How ironic, too. The organization had once stood for democracy and justice.

"This corruption is far from child's play," a member from the Inner Ring continued. Their forked tongue gave them a slight lisp. "Which is why we're here. The fools have been using prisoners to fight in underground clubs. They've even had humans arrested-who knows how that'll go over with the four kingdoms. Not only that, but we've been losing track of funds recently… Though, we all know where the money's going. And, because they've been covering their tracks well enough to outmaneuver what's left of the law, the only thing we can do is sit in the shadows and run our mouths." The Ring member hissed, tongue flicking out for a split second. "All of our efforts to replace them in the Rings or expose them have been met with surprising tact. I suspect they're even on to our meetings here."

Ghira nodded. "Blake, I'm sure you know where this is going. Do you have any intel that could help us?"

"No… I cut all ties with the White Fang long ago," Blake answered.

A warrior growled. "Of course she comes to her senses before she's actually useful. Ghira, there's no reason for her to be here. Go hide your daughter above ground in that empty house of yours."

Ghira glared at her. "She stays."

The rest of the meeting was mostly a list of updates. Names Blake hadn't heard for so long resurfaced, sickening her.

Reliable sources had confirmed that the next prisoner fight was taking place soon. Thirteen passengers from a ship had been wrongly arrested. They were all human artists. Painters, sculptors, metalworkers, potters, and even musicians. Their weapons had been taken, and they were going to be pitted against Grimm from the desert. Blake could guess the outcome of the fights. She grimaced. How could her own comrades fall so far? Then again, she'd been asking herself that for years.

Since there were so many prisoners scheduled to fight at the next event, virtually all the ex White Fang members were expected to be there to watch the show.

Blake seethed. In the end, the White Fang was nothing but a lie. An illusion to mask the true twistedness of its leaders. An illusion that exploited the hopes and dreams of its members. Instead of creating a place were humans and Faunus could live as equals, it tainted its own people's government like a corpse in water. And now, innocent people were about to lose their lives for no better reason than to entertain.

Blake felt it was her duty to end this. After all, she was once a limb of this monster. She'd once helped it feed. She almost asked the Faunus at the meeting for help, but quickly decided against it. These were the esteemed members of society who had thrown her out six years ago. Blake didn't care to get involved.

This wasn't about helping the Rings. This was about something that should have ended a long time ago. Mistral would have to wait a little while longer.

Blake was out for blood.

/-/-/-/

Finding where the prisoner fights took place wasn't hard. The only problem was getting in to investigate. The old government building was well-guarded and had few entrances to speak of. Blake was in too much of a rush to wait for an opening. Sometimes, it was best not to think too hard. If she wanted to see where they were keeping the prisoners, she'd become one of them. That would secure her entrance to the fight as well.

With that in mind, she approached the front door. She didn't feel like knocking, so she busted it down.

Maybe Yang was rubbing off on her.

"Who are you?" shouted a guard, drawing their weapon.

"Stop. She's one of us," an Outer Ring member ordered. He was once a high-ranking White Fang member. He'd gained a lot of weight and lost quite a bit of hair since then, though. "Blake Belladonna… such a dramatic entrance. I've heard many things about you… are you coming to me now as a friend or a foe?" He eyed her. "You are unarmed… perhaps you've come to renounce your ties to the White Fang? To reacclimate to society?"

"Is that what you've done?" Blake cut. "Or have you just abused it?"

The Outer Ring member, a mouse Faunus, narrowed his beady eyes.

Sensing she'd irked him, Blake smirked and looked around the lavish building. Her smirk fell a second later. "I've come to turn myself in."

"You realize I have the right to kill you here and now?"

"I do."

After a moment, the Ring member laughed. "Well, isn't that cute. You were always a purist, weren't you?" He waved a pudgy, pink hand. "Guards, arrest her. I have a lot of questions for her…"

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Family History


	26. Family History

~~AAAND START!~~ (Family History)

The drinks at Shield Banter Tavern were exquisite by normal standards. Unfortunately, Yang and Raven weren't normal. Their group had chosen to take a different route home in order to see more of Raven's domain. However, when they reached the village of Demos, Raven announced they would stay there indefinitely.

Today, she'd asked to meet Yang at the tavern. Yang tried some of the famous sake at the waiter's behest, but mostly stuck to water. Raven opted for the nigori. It had been some time, but neither of them spoke. Yang had been thinking about Winter, Velvet, and Coco. If she were still adventuring with Blake, they'd already be knee-deep in an investigation by now. Winter and Coco's deaths were all too sudden and with no apparent reasoning behind them. Yang couldn't make sense of it, and she didn't know enough to come up with suitable suspects. Velvet had disappeared, so her one contact was as good as gone, too. Yang considered Raven being the culprit, but that didn't sound right.

Then again, Raven killed Blake. Watched her die in Yang's arms. There was no reason for that, so anything was possible.

But, Raven probably would have cut them all to pieces instead of blowing them to bits. Explosions weren't hands-on enough.

Yang glared at Raven.

Raven, who was busy appraising her nigori and the citizens, paid it little mind.

A bard finished tuning their harp and began to play a song at that moment.

 _Sing, muses, of the hermit_

 _Who sleeps in the forest_

 _Untamed by the city_

 _Loved by none_

Raven listened for a bit longer, then spoke before the second verse. "Yang. You've been distant lately… what's on your mind?"

Yang recoiled, instantly disgusted. "Don't pretend you care about me. I've been keeping up with training, haven't I?"

"The worshippers are concerned… and so am I. We can't afford any distractions. I sense it's more than your package to Blake."

Yang exhaled heavily. That had been stressing her out, too. The worshippers had fulfilled their end of the deal, she just had to finish it. Her only problem was that she didn't know when to stop. When was something that was supposed to account for a lifetime apart from Blake good enough?

"I know you were at Winter's shop before and after the explosion…" Raven continued.

Winter? So, Raven was on a first-name basis with Weiss' sister? How and how well did they know each other?

"The Schnee family is already conducting its own investigation. If you're concerned about their findings, perhaps you'd like to visit the Schnee manor to look into it?"

Yang's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Why are you offering?"

Raven sipped her nigori. The bard's third verse began. "Yang, there's something we need to talk about."

The last time Raven led with that, Yang's entire world fell apart.

"It's about our family history. It's time you knew everything, including information about your scar." Raven stood and opened a portal. "Come. We have a meeting with Merin Schnee."

Yang was too intrigued not to follow.

The portal brought them to a white room. A boy a little younger than Ruby greeted them with a bow.

"Master Raven and Master Yang. It's a pleasure to see you two today. Mother wishes to apologize for her lateness. What with the increase in Grimm activity lately, I'm afraid she and Father have been stretched thin." He smiled at Yang. "My name is Whitley. I'm Weiss' younger brother."

Despite his best efforts, Yang couldn't help but find him off-putting. "Oh. Nice to meet you," she said weakly, deciding she preferred Weiss' coldness.

"Would you like to see Weiss and Ruby before you leave today? I can have that arranged, you know," he grinned. "Oh, but please don't tell Weiss about what you see here today. After all, she doesn't know."

"Ruby's here?" Yang exclaimed. "And, what doesn't Weiss know?"

"We'll discuss that later," Raven interrupted. "I have a question for you, Whitley."

"Anything, Master Raven. What would you possibly like to know?" Whitley inquired, crossing his arms behind his back and rocking onto the balls of his feet in a childlike manner.

"How is the investigation into Winter's death going?"

"Wow, nothing escapes you, Master Raven," Whitley grinned. "All evidence we've collected so far points to the army's current armament distributor. It seems they were concerned about losing business to our company… We're currently working on eliminating their presence on Remnant," he said all too cheerily.

Yang almost shivered.

"Thank you," Raven nodded.

Whitley bowed. "The pleasure is mine."

Someone knocked at the door.

Whitley clapped. "Ah, that must be Mother. Let a servant know if you'd like to see Ruby, Master Yang. I'm sure she'll clear her schedule for you."

Yang nodded, wondering if his toothless grin hurt his face. As he left, it occurred to Yang that, for just losing his sister, Whitley didn't seem to be grieving.

Merin was his polar opposite. Though her face was even more expressionless than Raven's, everything from the way she moved to the deeply-set dark circles under eyes conveyed grief. She entered with a servant, who brought two pots of tea. Merin was already holding her cup. The servant gave Yang and Raven a cup each, filling them with tea from one pot and refilling Merin's tea with the other.

They sat on plush, white couches accented with silver.

"Raven," Merin greeted. Her voice was tired.

"Merin. I'm sorry for your loss," Raven said.

"Thank you…"

Yang was disturbed by their esoteric lack of expression. She felt out of place.

Raven nodded. "This is my daughter, Yang."

"Yang…" Merin looked her over for some time. "You are Ruby Rose's sister, correct?" She drank some of her tea as she waited for a response.

"Yes, I am," Yang answered, feeling even more uncomfortable.

"Excellence runs in both our families…" Merin said, attempting a smile. Her lips only moved a fraction, but her eyes softened.

"Compliments aside," Raven interjected, "how is she?"

Merin sank into silence for some time. "Fine for now, but her overall condition remains unchanged."

"Who, Ruby?" Yang asked.

"No," Merin responded.

"How are you?" Raven asked her.

Merin looked at her tea, then returned her focus to Raven.

Raven nodded. Silence ensued.

Yang tried some of her own tea. It was surprisingly well-made. "This tea is great," she praised.

"Madame Schnee brewed it herself," the servant said.

Raven stood. "We'll go see her now."

Merin nodded, then stood slowly. Her movements were dignified, but not the Schnee family's usual brand of regal. They left the room and walked down the white hallway at an unhurried pace. "Yang, did you have a chance to meet Winter?"

"Yeah. Actually, I met her the day before she died…" Yang said.

"Did you two speak much?"

"She asked a lot about Weiss."

Merin took a sip of tea. Yang waited for her to say something more, but she didn't. After another long, white hallway, she stopped and put a hand to her temple. She swayed.

Raven took a step towards her, but didn't steady her.

"My book," Merin murmured.

Another servant appeared with her giant book of Dust spells and a pen.

Still a little off balance, Merin opened the book to a fresh page. "Sprite. The lightning sister spell to Shine."

Yang could see her draw out perfectly measured runes alongside a description of the keyword. So, this is was why she was considered the best rune master in Remnant. Dust spells just came to her. To everyone else, that was an impossible task.

Merin closed the book and handed it back to the servant. "Contact the lighting committee."

"Right away, Madame Schnee," the servant said, bustling off.

They continued their walk down the hall. Eventually, they came to Merin's study. She opened a hidden passageway, and they went down a long flight of stairs to enter yet another white passageway. This time, however, Yang noticed a biting chill in the air. It kept getting colder and colder until the three reached a colossal metal door.

To Yang's surprise, Merin activated her aura. Noises around her sounded isolated. There were no visible effects on Merin.

She unlocked the door with a white glyph similar to the ones Weiss used. It slid open. A dark room lay beyond it, and the cold inside was far more intense than in the hall. Yang activated her aura to keep warm. Raven was unfazed.

Merin stared into the room as if she were contemplating something, then turned around and walked away. "Close the door on your way out," she said. Her shoes echoed down the hall as she left.

Raven stood in the doorway. Shadows licked at the tips of her shoes. "I've known Merin since the Schnees began to serve our family. I was a child then."

"Serve us? What do you mean by that?" Yang asked.

Raven entered the room and lit a pair of torches. She handed one to Yang, then walked towards the source of the cold. "The Faunus Harmonists teach this: 'Of the first humans, there was one who could walk into the Soul of all things / By tearing the fabric of the world with depravity.' This person was the first Branwen. Her gift of entering the Void has been passed down through the generations. The Faunus continue:

'When in the Soul, this human tried to understand it in their own way.

They sought the impossible truth.

Upon seeing two distinct forms inside,

Color and Emptiness,

They assigned their own extremeness to the Soul

And took a fragment of Color with them.

The stolen ash of the Soul

Continues to find itself in the realm of extremes.'

"The fragment she took from the Void manifested in this world as Dust. In order to counterbalance for this excess of light, the Archdemon was born. Though the humans could now fight the Grimm, the Grimm continued to outnumber and destroy them. Our ancestor fell in battle once. She became a half-breed." Raven cast a meaningful look at Yang. "Her Grimm was the Chimaera. And, in a battle that destroyed the moon, she slayed the Archdemon and absorbed most of it.

"Her control over the darkness was not complete, however, and the Archdemon slowly ate away at her. So, we Froze her to keep the Archdemon from reemerging at full strength. That worked for generations… until the Archdemon began to conquer the spell.

"We came to the Schnees because of Merin and her father's abilities. Better spells have been used on our ancestor, but the Archdemon has prevailed against them all so far. Her scar is slowly spreading. As it is now, only part of the Archdemon is free to roam. Once materialized, it constantly searches for the rest of its being. Imagine what would happen if it finally found it."

"So, your end goal in training me is to get me to… absorb the Archdemon?" Yang felt sick.

"You have more control than most over the darkness inside you. I believe you'd be able to handle it. In the end, however, what you do is your own choice. I won't force you to take on the Archdemon. That would only end in disaster."

Yang crossed an arm in front of her. "And… what if I don't want to?"

"Then, I will continue to do what I can as a Keeper, but the end is inevitable. We will all die," Raven said flatly. The cold seemed to be at its peak now.

Yang could see the beginnings of a pedestal.

"Are you ready to see her?" Without waiting for an answer, Raven activated her aura and put a hand on a keyword on the wall. "Shine."

The room lit up. On the pedestal lay a woman covered in frost. An ebony scar originated at her stomach and spread outwards to most of her body. Even her face was covered in black tendrils.

Raven exhaled a small breath of laughter. "This is who the four kingdoms regard as the 'Goddess.'" Her humor quickly faded, and she began to inspect the frozen woman's body. "We only have a few more decades left of peace."

Yang could hardly put together a coherent response. The Goddess-Yang's ancestor-was in the Schnees' basement? The Schnees served the Branwens? Yang was expected to… absorb the Archdemon? As a Seeker, someone who didn't believe in the Goddess, Yang had always wanted to find the truth behind the world's inner workings. Now that she was learning it, she almost wished she was still ignorant.

Almost. Maybe it was in her blood, but a part of her was invigorated by the truth.

The rest of her was disturbed, disgusted, and marginally fearful of what was to come.

"This should give new meaning to your training," Raven said. "You can return to this room whenever you please." With her inspection of the Goddess' frozen form complete, she began to head back towards Merin's study.

Yang lingered for a while. The Goddess looked like a statue. To be frozen for eternity… To make up for one's sins by absorbing the consequences… To be worshipped yet forgotten…

Yang wanted no part of that legacy. But, she also didn't want the entire world to fall into chaos. Was it really all on her shoulders?

"Yang," Raven called.

Yang shook her head and walked away.

Merin was waiting for them in her study. Her tea servant bowed to them. "Master Yang, did you want to see Madame Rose before you leave?"

"No… that's okay," Yang said. If she saw Ruby now, she'd have no idea what to do or how to answer any questions.

Raven nodded. "Let's return to the tavern. Goodbye, Merin."

"Goodbye," Merin said to both of them.

When they returned to the tavern, they were served fresh drinks on the house. As Keepers, almost everything was free for them.

Another performance of the hermit's song was about to end.

Raven took a drink of water. Yang wasn't thirsty.

After a few moments of grating silence, Raven spoke. "This town is about to be overrun with Grimm. It will be your duty to save them. If you can't… I will not help you."

That set Yang's blood to a boil. "What is wrong with you?" she snarled.

Raven was unfazed. She simply finished her glass of water. "No matter how much you hate me, nothing here will change. My blood is still in your veins, and the world is still on the brink of calamity. I suggest you spend your time getting stronger, Yang. There is nothing more I need to teach you. From now on, everything rests on your shoulders."

"So, it's all on me now? To clean up her mess?" Yang almost felt like laughing. "What a joke!"

Raven stared at the empty glass in her hand, then set it down. "I don't care how you think of it," she replied indifferently. At that, she headed for the exit.

If it weren't for the contract, Yang would have her head by now.

/-/-/-/

Blake spit out blood. Glass needles had been thrust into her acupoints, making it impossible for her to activate her aura. Her body's circuit had been broken.

"I'll ask you again," the pudgy mouse Faunus continued. This had been going on for hours. His methods were sloppy and soft by normal standards, but he had an inordinate amount of enthusiasm for his job. "Why did you fake your own death?"

"To escape what monsters we had become," Blake answered truthfully.

"Why did you side with the humans?"

She refused to answer him.

The mouse Faunus kicked her in the scar. After he'd discovered how sensitive it was, he refused to leave it alone. "Why did you side with the humans? Answer me!" he screeched.

"Does it matter who they are?" Blake hissed through gritted teeth. "We once fought for equality, saying that Faunus were equal to the humans. Does it matter-"

He punched her in the mouth. "Shut up! I'm the one asking the questions, scum!" He wiped his bloody hand on a handkerchief, then grinned smugly at her. "If you value Faunus lives so much, why did you kill Brother Taurus?"

Blake didn't answer. He'd never understand, anyway. She didn't want to waste effort explaining it to him.

"Why?" he shouted, crushing her foot under his. No matter how much he hurt her, he'd never get a satisfactory answer. Her hatred and her will conquered any pain he could inflict. After some time of torture, he seemed to realize this, and moved on. "Why are you here?"

"For your head," Blake answered.

He blinked, then laughed at her. "What can dirt like you do to me? I ought to cut off your ears! Oh, but what would I do with them? I have no use for trash."

Blake spat at him.

This enraged him. He drove his knee into her scar and pulled her head back with her ears. "I will enjoy watching you die at the hands of the Grimm," he snarled. "We'll see if you can protect your precious humans in the ring." He laughed. "I'll even let you use your aura. So you understand just how worthless you are."

Blake smirked at him. He'd just given her the ticket she'd been waiting for. His days were numbered.

"We'll see how long you keep that condescending look of yours. I can't wait to make a spectacle of you…"

Blake managed a breath of laughter. "I was just thinking the same thing."

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Extra: Ancient Literature, the History of Words, and the Hermit's Song


	27. Extra: Ancient Literature

~~AAAND START!~~ (Extra: Ancient Literature, the History of Words, and the Hermit's Song)

These are Faunus texts still worshiped today:

 **Old Ways**

ONE

When Harmony is described and understood by students,

It is not Harmony.

When lightness is described and understood by students,

It is not lightness.

When darkness is described and understood by students,

It is not darkness.

Therefore, there is no dark, no light, and no harmony.

There is only the inconceivable reality,

And the conceivable unreality.

The student lives only in the unreality;

The master is at one with the inconceivable,

Yet exists coherently.

Therefore, the master exits in both lightness and darkness

Whilst simultaneously not existing at all.

The master observes and understands,

Whilst simultaneously refusing to define.

This inexistence,

The natural state of all things,

Is what the student studies

And calls Harmony.

/-/

TWO

Because there can be no dark and no light,

There can be no good and no bad.

Only what is.

In the field of what is

Lies all the masters;

In the wasteland of what is thought to be

Lies all the students.

Because what is thought to be is a wasteland,

There can be no growth,

Yet nations can grow and fall.

Because there is no dark and no light,

There is no distinguishing

The beast from the person.

All exists as one.

The construction of walls

Is sure to prelude the destruction of walls.

Yet there is one being that is decidedly bad…

That being that exists, yet has no roots.

The one being that is decidedly bad

Is that of humankind.

/-/

THREE

The opposite of softness is not hardness,

Though one preserves and one withers.

In life, one must know how to steel oneself

But remain supple at heart.

At times, oneself must be steeled in order to relax.

The opposite of softness, therefore, is not hardness.

The opposite of softness is extremeness.

Extremeness is chaotic in nature.

This is a concept well known and forgotten by students

And masters who lose their way.

Extremeness must be distanced from the learned.

However, it is no permanent state.

Though, the affliction haunts.

/-/-/-/

 **New History**

ONE

The masters once exiled Them for their extremeness,

((Ke hakui 'ekahi wa'ilana iai no ka iai no lo'akue,))

As should be done.

They wandered the desert, refusing to soften,

Becoming as castles in the sand.

Their offspring were the embodiment of their extremeness—

Steeled against malleability

And utterly depraved.

These children's curse ate their roots

And thrust them into life

From their mewling state

As that evil being so disconnected.

As humans.

It is well known and forgotten They were once Us.

Learned to Lost.

/-/

TWO

Of the first humans, there was one who could walk into the Soul of all things

By tearing the fabric of the world with depravity.

The Soul that is comprehended is the true Soul soiled.

Masters cannot understand,

And to try is extreme.

Such extremeness corrupts the body's roots.

This human's level of depravity

Had internalized such drastic corruption that

Their body had no roots,

And was as a sapling feeding on extremes

Since the day of their birth.

A wicked curse only the Lost envy.

A wretched curse only the humans worship.

/-/

THREE

When in the Soul, this human tried to understand it in their own way.

They sought the impossible truth.

Upon seeing two distinct forms inside,

Color and Emptiness,

They assigned their own extremeness to the Soul

And took a fragment of Color with them.

The stolen ash of the Soul

Continues to find itself in the realm of extremes.

And Color is now matched by Shadow.

All is off balance now

Because of the human with red eyes.

Humans, however, worship the cause and state of the world,

Having moved irrevocably from a whole to a mere remnant.

Humans worship a world much like themselves,

Polarized and extreme.

A home to all is now a home

To a select few.

/-/

When translated into the global standard, the underlined phrases above change in meaning, becoming common terms used by many people today...

Emptiness becomes "the Void," replacing "the Soul"

The stolen ash of the Soul becomes "Dust"

Shadow becomes "the Grimm"

A mere remnant becomes "Remnant"

/-/-/-/

This is a popular old bard song in Mistral:

 **(The) Hermit's Song**

Sing, muses, of the hermit

Who sleeps in the forest

Untamed by the city

Loved by none

Use me, muses, to sing

Of where her home lies

So we might collect

What she leaves behind

In the misted forest

South of here

Where the wood is thick

And flowers run as wild as she

Strange is she, muses

In the hermit's home

Few dare collect

What she leaves alone

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Loose Ends and Upgrades


	28. Loose Ends and Upgrades

~~AAAND START!~~ (Loose Ends and Upgrades)

The arena must have been some ways underground. The rainy season had finally reached Kuo Kuana, and though Blake could hear the storms from the prison, she couldn't hear anything natural in the fighting grounds. In Menagerie, the rainy season slowly worked its way north like a returning migratory bird. In the arena, the corrupt officials' jeers echoed down into the sand pit like acid runoff.

All around her, the other prisoners whimpered and cried, huddling together by the wall of the arena. "I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask for any of this!" a woodworker snivelled.

"Please, you can take everything I own, but don't feed me to those Grimm! I have a family," a painter pleaded.

Blake was the only one standing. She carefully stepped around the artists to face the Grimms' entrance point.

"Wh-What are you doing?" the metalworker fretted. "You should g-get back here s-so you're not singled out."

"Don't worry," Blake said cooly. She narrowed her eyes, mapping out the locations of ex White Fang members in the rather small audience. The mouse Faunus was near the only door. "Make sure you stay close to the others."

The metalworker was shocked by her composure. He couldn't stop shaking. "W-W-Well, Miss Cat Faunus, w-we all have auras, too… I think that's why they ar-rrested us. I-If we… If we stay together…"

"Here are the criminals! A heretic and thieves of culture," an announcer shouted.

The crowd booed, then laughed in anticipation.

"Now, brothers and sisters, the Grimm!"

The metal gate across from Blake opened. Chains rattled. Rhythmic thudding shook the ground. What sounded like the wail of a colossal, tortured swine slowly approached the arena.

Many of the prisoners started to pray.

Blake's lip curled in disgust as the beast dragged its way into sight. The Grimm was a Dread Stinger-a creature about as rare as Hubris. The last known case was seen years ago when an Inner Ring member died during the middle of a criminal court case. It was said that the Grimm had been killed. Blake doubted it after seeing the Dread Stinger here now.

The beast's body resembled a headless serpent, with a mask capping one end and a scorpion's stinger finishing the other. Instead of scales, it grew thick, sharpened feathers. Eight wings lined its body from mask to stinger, but it couldn't fly. Instead, it alternated between trying to go airborne and twisting parts of its body in different directions to use its wings as legs. Its mask had nine holes, but the Grimm itself had no eyes.

The Dread Stinger stopped once it entered the arena, as if it were trying to catch its breath. It was becoming increasingly agitated by the crowd's shouts. Eventually, it twisted its top half onto its back, wings slamming into the floor. As it did so, its scorpion stinger swung out from under it. Blake could feel air rush by her face as the tip of it nearly missed her. She didn't flinch.

The Dread Stinger was now staring at the prisoners, contemplating them. Blake glanced behind her. The metalworker was frozen with fear, watching her with wide eyes. Blake returned her gaze to the Grimm. Then, she stepped forwards.

She could sense its unceasing torment. The Grimm existed to target despair. Yes, the prisoners felt despair, but the audience was the cause of it. Blake took a deep breath and exhaled quietly. Maybe it was because she'd been to the Void, but she hardly felt any fear. The Dread Stinger's situation… saddened her. The Grimm were soulless, but the beings behind them hadn't been. It wasn't that she felt for the likely corrupt Inner Ring member with a questionable death. She felt for those trapped by the system that created this Grimm.

There was no reason to kill the innocent prisoners here, but there were countless to turn her electricity on the audience. She walked forwards, charging her aura, polarizing it… The Dread Stinger didn't fight her as she approached.

The crowd had fallen silent some time ago. This wasn't something they could make sense of. Soon, however, they began to scream in fear. Blake touched the Dread Stinger's mask, and it exploded. Before its entire body could decompose, she jumped on top of it and ran towards the wall, then used her semblance to create a clone of herself.

Using this clone for leverage, she vaulted into the stands, stopping the heart of everyone she touched in an instant.

No official escaped the arena that night… but not a single drop of blood was shed.

/-/-/-/

Blake sat across from her parents in the grand room. The table had been moved out of the way. In truth, she was uncomfortable. She'd rather be traveling to Mistral. Now that everything was over with the White Fang, she felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. The last thing she wanted to experience was this heavy atmosphere.

"Blake, kitten, you didn't tell us you'd become a Harmonist," Kali said.

"I haven't," Blake answered.

"Then what have you become?" Ghira demanded. As they spoke, his allies were filling the empty positions in the Rings. Blake's exile had officially ended. The new government and many foreign diplomats saw her as a heroic figure.

She didn't want the title.

Ghira was mystified. Was this person really the same young girl that had left six years ago? "How did you manage to kill an entire room full of highly-trained fighters?"

"I used to be one of them," Blake reminded him. "An assassin."

"I'm just glad you're okay," Kali said warmly. "Are you sure you want to leave for Mistral so soon?"

"Yes, I am."

Kali nodded, then smiled knowingly. "Your father tells me you've fallen in love."

Blake's ears shot up in surprise, then she glared at Ghira.

"She spared me the details," Ghira said. Both he and Kali were clearly amused at their daughter's embarrassment.

"Oh? I wanna hear more about it," Kali grinned, leaning in. "Who was good enough to steal your heart, Blake?"

"They'd better be good enough," Ghira added gruffly.

"I…" Blake looked at both of them, then sighed in defeat. There was no escaping this one. "Her name is Yang… She's… amazing. We adventure together."

"Ooh, so you're an adventurer now? How romantic!" Kali swooned. "To travel to so many different places, and to see so many different things… sounds fun!"

"So? What kind of Faunus is she?" Ghira questioned.

"She's a human. With red eyes," Blake said.

Her parents gasped. Kali in surprise, Ghira in horror.

Ghira was the first to recover. "What?" he bellowed. "My daughter is not-"

"Ever since you exiled me, you lost the right to tell me what to do," Blake interrupted coldly. "I'm not like you. I don't believe in laws of courtship that are so old, scholars have to translate them."

"If you think that's enough for me to accept this-"

"Ghira, just let her be in love," Kali said sternly. "We promised we would accept her, didn't we?"

Ghira frowned. "But, a human? And, a Branwen, no less? Those monsters are only capable of selfish acts of destruction."

"Yang is not a monster," Blake countered, anger returning. "And, she's less selfish than you."

Ghira frowned. "The traditions of courtship exist for a reason, Blake."

"Please, can't we see our own daughter off in peace?" Kali interjected again. "Despite what your father says, I'm sure we'd love to meet Yang some day… if you'd like to bring her home to visit." She paused for emphasis. "You will always have a home here, Blake."

After more conversation along those lines, Blake finally said goodbye and left for the port.

To her surprise, the metalworker met her outside her family's compound. He was carrying two packages. It was raining heavily, and he was trying his hardest not to get either of them wet. The packages weren't cumbersome on their own, but with an umbrella, it was a draining task.

"He… Hello," he greeted sheepishly. He was barely audible above the rain. "The others we-were too afraid to come. S-So was I, but I kn-knew I should thank you for everything y-you did for us." He swallowed thickly and handed her the smaller of the two packages with shaking hands. "A-As I was walking here, though, a wo-woman with black hair and r-red eyes asked me to give this to you. Said it was from someone named Y-Yang."

If Blake's aura had been activated, it would have spiked. "Yang sent this?"

The metalworker nodded furiously.

Blake was tempted to tear it open on the spot, but forced herself to be patient. "Thank you. I appreciate this."

The metalworker sighed in relief, fear leaving him. "I'm glad! I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Um, as for my real gift… I mentioned I had aura before the Grimm came out… The truth is, my group and I were offered asylum in Menagerie. In the kingdoms, we were forced to make art for nobles. We all share a common semblance. I'd like to create a work of art for you, if that's okay. I know it isn't much-sorry-but it's… it's the only way I have to thank you."

Blake shook her head. "You don't need to thank me. What I did wasn't-"

The metalworker bowed. "Please! You saved my life!"

"If… you think it's necessary," Blake responded. She wasn't sure what she'd do with the art, but she didn't want to turn him down when his heart was so set on gifting it.

"Thank you! Then, if you wouldn't mind following me to somewhere more suitable…"

They walked to the artists' safehouse, which would be their home until they decided where to go next. In the back, there was a roofed courtyard. The metalworker kneeled in the middle of it. Blake knelt facing him, and he set the second package out between them. It was a chunk of steel. "This was supposed to be for a noble in Vacuo, but we fled the country before I could make the piece."

The metalworker activated his aura. Cobalt blue wind appeared around him, staying close to his body.

"My semblance allows me to make a piece that reflects my client's soul." He placed a hand on the block of metal, then extended his other to Blake. "You don't need to activate your aura, but it would work better if you did… Now, then, i-if you wouldn't mind copying me…"

Blake activated her aura and replicated him, taking his hand.

The metalworker flinched. "Y-Your aura feels different. Maybe it's because you're a Faunus? Oh, uhm… Somehow, I doubt that's the case. How can I explain it? It's like your lightning's both a half and a whole." He blinked. "S-Sorry, that probably made no sense. I don't really understand it myself. A-Anyways… here we go."

The metalworker's aura formed an opaque wind tunnel over the metal. He retracted his hand so his palm was facing the reaction instead of touching it. Blake did the same. A few minutes later, the process was complete.

The metalworker deactivated his aura to reveal a sword. He exhaled in awe. "I've never made a weapon before… I guess you really are special. But, after what you did in the arena, that shouldn't surprise me." He laughed for a moment, then abruptly cut it off. "You probably already know this, but its name is-"

"Equinox," Blake finished for him.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. The rain came down harder.

"It's very beautiful," the metalworker said.

Blake bowed her head slightly. "Thank you."

/-/-/-/

Once in her own quarters on the passenger ship, Blake set Yang's package out in front of her. So, Raven had delivered it. That must mean she had some way to keep tabs on where Blake was. And, that she was still with Yang. Blake creased her eyebrows in thought. This new information didn't change her course of action, but it made her realize that she'd have to get a lot stronger in order to face what awaited her in Mistral.

She eyed Equinox. The sleek, black blade was heavier than Gambol Shroud, but its balance was perfection. It was sharp enough to cut a book with minimal effort, and though it couldn't turn into a chain scythe, its construction was strong enough to stand up to anything.

Equinox's sheath was a white cleaver sword. When Blake held the two… she could feel an energy that was hard to explain. It was like looking in the mirror. Something told her these blades would serve her well.

Blake refocused on Yang's package. Apprehension suddenly threatened to erode her resolve. She shook her head to clear it, then opened it.

Inside was a leather-bound sketchbook wrapped in a black ribbon. She'd given this to Yang just before they started adventuring. Why was Yang returning it?

Blake steeled herself. She couldn't jump to conclusions; she needed to figure out what Yang was trying to tell her. However, no matter how she looked at it, the gift seemed like a severance of sorts.

The ribbon had been changed, though-embroidered with white. Two zigzagging lines representing lightning bolts ran the course of it. They were surrounded by two lines of tiny embers. Blake untied it and studied it for a moment. She set it on her lap, then opened the sketchbook. A letter fell out. It read:

 _Blake,_

 _This might be the only thing I ever get to send you… I'm sorry I left you alone. I hope you're safe. You gave me this sketchbook a long time ago. I've tried to fill it with everything I've seen so far. I wish you were here with me. At least now you'll be able to see where I've been…_

 _Raven told me you're heading to Mistral. If you're looking for me, please stop._

Blake stopped there, shocked. She continued once she'd recovered.

 _In order to bring you back from the dead, I signed a contract with Raven. I would go with her, and in exchange, my aura would be able to heal you. But, if we see each other or contact each other directly ever again, the contract will be reversed. Blake, I miss you so, so much… but I can't stand the thought of you dying again._

 _Don't worry about me, and, please, don't find me. Ruby and Weiss are in Atlas. Tell them I say hello._

 _I love you, Blake. I know this must be hard to read, but stay strong for me. I'm trying to do the same. I can't stop dreaming about you… I'm sorry it has to be like this. It's just… there's no other way. Goodbye._

 _Yours,_

 _Yang_

Blake set down the letter, hating Raven more than ever. She was still going to Mistral. She didn't care about the contract. At least now she had a trail to follow. The images in the sketchbook should help lead her in the right direction.

Yang… what was she going through? What was Raven putting her through? How was she? Where was she?

Blake opened the sketchbook to find out.

/-/-/-/

After three days at sea, Blake had memorized the entire sketchbook. She'd borrowed some maps from the captain of the ship and spent most of the time in her quarters, trying to place the landscapes and villages from it. Yang must have been near the capital, which meant Blake would have to journey north quite a ways. She'd need to secure herself a travel stag if she wanted to make good time.

Sometimes, Yang left captions for her on the pages, which Blake used to pinpoint certain locations on the map; however, she was mainly guessing as to where exactly Yang had stayed. There were times when multiple villages fit the criteria of a certain drawing. Near a lake, in a certain climate, just off of a specific main road…

By the end of the first four days, Blake was confident in what she'd been able to string together so far. If she continued the path she'd drawn out, Yang would have to be heading back to Raven's temple. There was a chance that wasn't the case, but if she asked the locals about a blonde in with lilac eyes in Menageran clothing, she'd probably be able to pick up the trail again.

There were more details in Yang's drawings then there had ever been in her other sketchbooks… it only amounted to subtle changes here and there, but Blake was sensing a double message. "Don't find me, but come find me." Or rather, since the two knew each other so well, it was probably more like "Don't find me, but since you will anyway, don't get lost." Blake smiled at that.

She wrote out directions for herself, then went to return the map to the captain.

"What're ye going te do with that?" the captain asked, nodding at her list of directions.

"I'm looking for someone," Blake answered.

"Oh, ye are, are ye? What will ye be doin once ye find em?"

"There's a contract I need to cancel."

The captain laughed. "Ye got a gamblin' problem, lassie?"

"Maybe." In a way, Blake was gambling with her own life. Losing wasn't an option, though.

"Well, best of luck to ye, then. I know a thing er two about that meself." The captain winked. "By the way, lassie, I see yer headin' north, aren't ye? Best be careful out there. I hear there's been a risin' of Grimm on the northbound trails. It ain't yer average Grimm, neither. They say it's a flower growin'. The scent makes local beasts and even some humans go crazy, so unless ye know how to kill yer share a wild things, I'd stay off them trails. Them animals'll go after anything. Even rocks, ye see. So, ye best be keepin' yer wits about ye."

Blake nodded. It seems the journey wouldn't be as easy as she'd hoped.

After returning the nod, the captain screwed up her eyes, putting a hand covered in fox fur to her forehead in order to see further out on the horizon. "Well, ye seem like a good fighter, so I wouldn't put the trip past ye. Thanks fer bringin' them maps back. If yer ever fixin' for conversation, ye just stop back up here, ye hear?"

"Thank you for your kindness," Blake said graciously. After she left, she didn't feel like going back to her room, so she stood at the ship's railing and stared out at sea. A group of human children from rich families were playing nearby. They were Freezing things with Dust slips, then breaking the ice apart with wooden weapons. Blake watched them for a bit. A Frozen cup they were attacking shattered, and they threw the pieces overboard, laughing. Later, a Faunus searched in vain for their missing cup. Blake narrowed her eyes and turned her cynical gaze back to the sea.

For a moment, she thought she could sense Yang, but she knew the feeling was just an illusion.

A lot had happened since they'd been split apart. It was strange. In another life, where she hadn't met Yang, the events in Kuo Kuana would have been the end of her journey. Now, it was just a part that had her focusing even more intently on the future ahead of her...

The children were getting closer, Freezing parts of the railing. Blake tried her best to ignore them. Then, a child ran up to her and slapped a Freeze slip on Equinox's sheath.

"Freeze! Ha! Now your sword is frozen, cat!"

Except, it wasn't. Nothing had happened. The Freeze slip peeled off and fell to the floor. Blake looked at Equinox, then at the child. The child stared at Equinox, then started fuming.

"Okay, so you got lucky, cat. But, you can't escape this time!" They waved their friends over, and the group stuck five Freeze slips dripping with sheep's blood onto Equinox's sheath. "Freeze!"

Again, nothing happened. Blake felt rather smug at that.

The children, however, ran away in fear. "Cat monster!" they screamed.

Blake watched them go. Once they were out of sight, she examined Equinox more closely. Yang's ribbon fit nicely on the sword's hilt. The rest of the sword, sheath and all, gleamed innocently in the sunlight.

A sheath that could nullify Dust spells… What else could Equinox do?

Blake had an entire journey through Mistral to find out.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Raid


	29. Raid

~~AAAND START!~~ (Raid)

The cucumber vendor's son returned one day. When Yang was helping an elder fix the front door to their house, he came over and insisted he could be of service. All he did was hold the nails, but Yang didn't mind his company. For the rest of the day, he followed her around, asking her questions and doing what he could. Once, when Yang went to ask for water, he puffed out his little chest and announced, "She the Keep!"

Everyone on the street immediately bowed before continuing on with their lives. Yang received a basket of fresh fruit along with her water.

She offered the boy a bunch of grapes, and he bowed excitedly before devouring them.

From then on, he mysteriously appeared beside her at sunrise and left before dinner. His favorite thing to do was announce her presence, but he also seemed to enjoy training with her. He'd imitate whatever she did. If Yang opened a portal, though, he'd bow and stay like that until she closed it. Yang was rather fond of him. His earnestness reminded her of Ruby when she was little. She just wished he and all the townspeople didn't have to worship the ground she walked on. After being an adventurer for so long, Yang found the treatment cloying. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a normal conversation.

However, she was growing to like the village. If she wasn't training or at a watchpost, Yang was probably doing an odd job for someone. It was her own way of repaying a small part of their hospitality, and it mixed up her routine enough to keep it bearable.

Raven left after their conversation at the tavern and hadn't returned. Yang tried to push her from her from her thoughts. There were a lot of things Yang tried not to think about these days. Like Blake. If she started thinking about her, she couldn't stop. She'd wonder if Blake was still on her way to Mistral. Probably. When Blake had her mind set on completing a certain task, nothing could shake her. Yang had tried, but it likely had the opposite effect. And, Blake traveling through the Grimm-infested country to find her shouldn't have made her the slightest bit happy, but…

Then, guilt would rear its nagging head, and she'd get lost in her own emotions. After all, there was the contract. If Blake showed up, she'd die. But, if she didn't show up, nothing would change. Nothing could be fixed…

Then, there was the matter of the goddess and the SDC. Knowing what she did now, all of Yang's actions seemed to hold a certain weight to them. And, to think the Schnee Dust company was involved in all this to such an extent… To think that Weiss didn't know, but everyone else seemed to… What a messed-up family. Yang sympathized with Weiss. She must have been lonely growing up.

Then, Yang got to wondering. Did Winter know about the goddess? Was her death really just the plot of a rival business? Or, maybe Yang was thinking too much about it. True, her instincts had never led her astray, but she had no evidence, and no time to collect any, either.

She had to focus on getting stronger. The fate of the entire village rested on her shoulders, so if she spent time on things like this…

Yang needed to stay vigilant. If she didn't look out for unusual amounts of Grimm like the swarm heading towards the village now, she'd-

Yang did a double take.

Beowolves, Boarbatusks, and Griffons were fast approaching. Behind them, three Beringels and a Nuckelavee followed at a slower pace. They stopped outside the village and watched their more common counterparts rush in like commanding officers in a war.

The village was already in high alert at this point. Warriors grabbed their weapons and charged the invading Grimm. Many were swallowed whole by Griffons or clawed by Beowolves, and one was even killed by a Boarbatusk as it spun into their spine.

Yang activated her semblance and grabbed the Boarbatusk mid-spin, then broke off one of its tusks. A nearby Griffon was about to eat the elder whose door she'd helped fix, and she threw the tusk at it, screaming, "Why don't you eat this instead!"

The tusk impaled the Griffon's skull, and it began the decomposition process. Yang killed the Boarbatusk, then moved on to slaughtering Beowolves. She'd extended the range of her flame bursts to eight feet now, and when Griffons were in range, she shot them out of the air.

A building collapsed some ways away, and suddenly half the village was on fire. Citizens screamed for her help from every direction. Yang found herself having to choose between saving someone from a falling beam or making sure a Griffon didn't fly off with someone else. Luckily, it was after the dinner hour, so the little boy wasn't with her to slow her down…

But, wasn't the inn on fire?

Yang sidestepped a lunging Beowolf, then caved its ribcage in with a single punch. With a growl of frustration, she ran towards the burning buildings, taking down Grimm as she went. When she was just a few blocks from the inn, a Beringel crashed down in front of her. Soon, the other two joined it. They'd decided to get involved, aiming for what they deemed the most challenging threat first.

The first Beringel beat its chest and ran forwards with a roar. Yang slid under the huge primate-like beast, riddling its armored underbelly with flame bursts as she went. Immediately after clearing the first Beringel, she dodge-rolled away from the second and blocked a hit from the third.

Yang knew she needed to hurry if she wanted to save the worshippers at the inn, and took a deep breath. She was already angered, so if anything, this would be easier than in training. Pushing the limits of her semblance, she shot a flame burst at a Beringel. Once her aura hit it, her flames lit the Beringel on fire, and burned it to death.

Encouraged and a little drunk on adrenaline, Yang turned to the other two. "You know?" she snarled. "I've always liked my ape charred." Her eyes glowed a hungry carmine, and she could feel the power coursing through her veins. Her aura flared.

The Beringels glanced at each other, then charged her.

Yang grinned, pulling her fists into her sides to charge her next pair of bursts. When the Beringels were in range, she released both bursts at once, scorching the Grimm an instantaneously immolating them.

But, Yang had underestimated how much energy that attack would take. Her semblance deactivated and her aura flickered out. The high and the heat from battle disappeared in a way that left her craving it. She fell to one knee and shivered.

Yang froze. That particular feeling was returning. She'd felt it in the desert, just before she'd blacked out. Her Grimm scar began to pulsate, and cold leaked from its black tendrils. Yang grit her teeth and slapped herself in the face. She didn't have time for this. She had to get to the inn.

As soon as she made it to the burning building, the little boy ran out from under a broken wagon. "Lady Yang, Lady Yang!" he shouted. "Papa!"

Yang followed him back to the wagon. His father was hurt, but he would survive. Yang did her best to console the child, glad both of them were okay.

Without warning, the wagon was knocked aside and a shrill scream pierced the air. The Nuckelavee had entered the village, and it left a trail of destruction wherever it tread. Now, it was right in front of them, smugly gazing at them from above.

Yang shivered as she watched it. The Nuckelavee had released a sickening desire from the depths of her scar. The Chimaera within her longed to devour it. To ground herself, Yang pulled the little boy close and looked him in the eyes. "Siirsheen quam. Ef puaam strandim citrel yemf zhamsen, hah?"

The boy nodded, then ran back to his father.

Yang turned back to the Nuckelavee. As she did so, her her sank. The village was mostly gone by now. At this point, there wasn't much to save. Her talk with Raven in the tavern came to mind. She could even hear the hermit's song in the background.

" _Nothing here will change. My blood is still in your veins, and the world is still on the brink of calamity."_

Relying on her blood alone had only gotten her so far. Even if she killed the Nuckelavee now, she'd still failed at protecting the village. If she wanted to protect what was left… Yang hated to admit it, but she'd need to rely on something else. Or rather, she'd need to stop resisting it.

"I'll protect you… so hang on, okay?" she reassured to the two behind her, but her words were lost amidst the sounds of destruction.

Her Grimm scar throbbed painfully beneath her robe.

Yang took a deep breath… and allowed herself to black out.

/-/-/-/

When Yang regained consciousness, she wasn't sure where she was. It was dawn, and she was on a mat in a room with a single window. She sat up slowly, then groaned. Emerald was sitting next to her. She was back at the temple.

"Oh, you're finally awake. I'm glad you actually decided to join me," Emerald said with a hint of sarcasm.

Yang fell back against the mat with a scowl. "Where's Raven?"

Emerald shrugged. "I don't follow her around everywhere. If you want to know, go look for her yourself."

Yang eyed her. "What's with you? I didn't ask you to be here."

Emerald rolled her eyes. "I guess I'm just not that excited to be babysitting Raven's kid while she runs around killing Grimm." She heaved out a sigh. "Are you going to drink that water or am I going to have to stick a funnel down your throat?"

Yang noticed the cup of water next to the mat and downed it. She was hungry, too, but she wasn't about to tell Emerald that.

Emerald stood and headed for the door. "Well, my job's done here. Hurry up and learn to control your Grimm. I don't want to do this ever again, and your body won't be able to hold up if you carry on like that."

Yang shook her head and exhaled when the door closed. "Whatever…" she said to no one in particular. She thought back to last night. Certain things remained in her memory, like dealing the final blow to the Nuckelavee and watching it go down in black flames… but she couldn't remember much. Still, she was starting to understand what it meant to control the Chimaera. Even though she'd only gone along with it up to this point, there was a certain predictability to its desires, and it never seemed to go against her will… Maybe one day, she could harness that power while remaining conscious.

That might be the day she'd have to absorb the Archdemon. It seemed like sometime between Demos and now, she'd accepted that as her unhappy fate.

Raven showed up a bit later. "Congratulations. Your training is over… Consider yourself a true Keeper. You have full control over your next set of actions. I do, however, have one request. From now on, when I visit our ancestor, I want you to come with me."

"And if I say no?" Yang asked immediately.

Raven exhaled. "Then you say no. I will come to ask you again when it is time to see her." She turned to the door. "This is where we part ways… Keep in mind that you are still weak, Yang."

"I hate you, but I'm not stupid," Yang said. "I know I still need to get a lot stronger even without you telling me."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "So, you've decided to take on the Archdemon?"

"Yeah."

"I'm impressed," Raven stated simply. "Talk to one of my servants if you need something. Farewell for now, Yang."

That was the last time Yang saw her for a while.

Yang stood and looked out the window. She was finally free? That statement made her madder than ever. What part of her situation now was "freedom"? She had maybe a few more decades left to live, and she'd been forcibly separated from her lover. What would Blake think of her now? She was finally beginning to be able to control her Grimm scar.

" _Your abilities are just another part of you."_

Suddenly, a wave of heartsickness crashed into Yang. Blake had been right since the beginning, and she'd found a way to love it all. Their distance became painfully clear to Yang, like reality had finally sunk in. What she wouldn't do to close that distance. She could step into the Void to feel Blake's presence, but it was a double-edged sword. In reality, the distance between them hadn't changed at all. Knowing that always made the feeling worse.

And then there was Ruby, too. Technically, nothing was separating Yang from her sister, but… so much had changed that it felt as though she'd signed two contracts. If Yang showed up in Atlas alone, she'd have to explain everything. Explaining everything was the only thing she didn't feel like she could handle at the moment. A lot of it sounded too absurd, too burdensome to share. Yang might as well be worlds apart from everyone else. Maybe thinking like that made her a coward, but… she liked to think she had the strength to bear this all alone. Or, at least until Blake showed up.

She needed to continue training with the Chimaera. If she found unusually strong Grimm or Grimm with unique abilities, she just might be able to do something about the contract on her own. That, and it was the only way she could get strong enough to save the world.

It was just her and Ember Celica. Except… Ember Celica looked a little worse for wear. The retracting mechanism was broken, and the gauntlets were bent out of shape. It must have happened when she fought with the Chimaera's powers. Yang sighed and tugged Ember Celica off. Okay, so it was just her. That would have to be enough.

Leaving her gauntlets on the mat, Yang opened a golden portal, and left the temple.

/-/-/-/

Weiss was drinking coffee with Ruby in her room, as had become their custom, when a knock interrupted their usual banter. Ruby set down her cup of coffee. Ever since the staff in the kitchen insisted on hand-crafting every cup for them, she'd grown fond of decaf espresso with steamed chocolate milk served with a chocolate-covered strawberry. Weiss had tried it once at Ruby's behest. It tasted nothing like coffee, which is why Weiss suspected Ruby enjoyed it so much.

Ruby opened the door. "What's up?"

A servant bowed. "I have a package and a letter for Madame Schnee. If it appeases both Madames, might it be delivered now?"

Ruby stepped aside and gestured for the servant to enter. "Oh, uh, sure, come on in! Who's the package from?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. Even after being in Atlas for so long, Ruby was still a bumbling idiot when it came to customs.

The servant glanced at Weiss. When she nodded, they continued, "Both items are from Velvet Scarlatina. Might the letter be heard aloud?"

"Read it," Weiss said, intrigued.

"The letter reads thusly:

 _Dear Weiss Schnee,_

 _Winter thought this might happen one day… She told me to send you this box in case it did. I don't know what's inside, but I'm sure it's important. You probably didn't like her, but you really meant a lot to her. She always talked about you. Please treat her final wish with care._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Velvet Scarlatina_

There is no return address," the servant finished. They handed Weiss a metal box. "This is the package. Does the Madame have any lingering concerns?"

"No, you may leave," Weiss said curtly. She certainly hadn't been expecting this.

The servant left.

Ruby zoomed over to her. Curiosity and excitement sparkled in her eyes. "Ooh, what do you think's in the box, Weiss?"

Weiss set the box aside. "I don't know, and I don't care."

Ruby's jaw dropped. "What? But, it's from Winter! Don't you want to know what she left for you?"

"No, I don't," Weiss insisted. If Winter thought she could just force some useless junk on her, she was wrong. "It's probably just a dress."

"But, Weiss, you'll never know if you don't open it," Ruby said. "If Yang sent me something, I'm sure-"

"Ruby!" Weiss snapped. "How many times do I have to tell you? Winter and I are not like you and Yang! Whether or not I open the box is my decision, and I'm not opening it."

Ruby exhaled and groaned in frustration. "Fine. If you don't want to open it, you don't want to open it. Forget I said anything."

Weiss picked up the box and headed back to her room, trying to do exactly that. She tucked the box far under her bed, then slipped into her sheets. Just who did Winter think she was? The funeral was tomorrow, and she drops a bomb like this? How was Weiss supposed to sing tomorrow when there was that metal box sitting under her bed?

Annoyed, Weiss threw off her sheets, stood up, then dragged the box back out from under it. She set it on top of her covers and stared at it. Taking a deep breath, she reached for it… then shoved it into the bottom drawer of her desk and went to sleep.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

Yang at Blake: James Young - Moondust

NEXT: Winter's Box


	30. Winter's Box

~~AAAND START!~~ (Winter's Box)

Weiss stared at her reflection in the powder room mirror. Her performance at the funeral was near flawless. A few people had even cried, which she found perplexing. No one there really knew Winter, they were just there so her father could impress them with his propaganda. Jacques was intent on selling the message that though the Schnee family had lost an integral part to its business, it was still going as strong as ever.

Weiss' dangle earrings shimmered in the room's light, but her face was unresponsive. She tried on a reassuring smile, but quickly got sick of it. This wasn't a funeral. Weiss had been too preoccupied with her performance to notice she was the same as the other petty people here. Selfishly ignoring the truth in order to convince themselves that the life society demanded they live was enough.

The truth was, when she watched Winter's metal casket lower into the ice, she'd wanted to cry. Jacques must have noticed. He sent her here to fix her face before the public dinner, and Weiss hated him for it. Just this one day, she'd like to be able to feel something and not have to qualify it. When she was younger, she idolized Winter. When she got older, she was hurt by Winter. Of course she was grieving!

Vale must have changed her too much. Beyond the point of return. Weiss sighed. She felt like an idiot.

But, hadn't she wanted to change? She was tired of pretending her emotions didn't exist. After trying to become a better person for so long, Weiss realized she couldn't change who she was. She was cold and logical and she had a short fuse… but she still had a heart, and she was a human not a puppet.

All this time, she'd begged for her family's approval. Didn't she ever once consider how she felt about herself? About what she wanted?

Her reflection's dull blue eyes bore into her soul.

Weiss certainly didn't want to be here.

She turned away from the mirror and set about finding Ruby.

A little ways down the hall, she overheard Whitley talking to some guests.

"Winter's death was hard on us all, but we can't let such a loss detract from our livelihood, now can we? That would degrade my sister's honor."

Weiss frowned. Whitley never liked Winter. He probably relished the "loss." It meant less competition. She could hear the smile in his voice.

Whitley wrapped up the conversation and turned a corner. "Hello, Sister," he greeted with a smile. "I was just about to come get you. People have been asking questions about your stunning performance, you know. Even your rune master seemed curious." He grinned. "Shall we return to the dinner?"

Weiss stood and looked at him, more surprised than she should have been. He really felt nothing, didn't he? How disgusting. "Tell Father I'm feeling ill," she said shortly.

"Oh… Well, feel better soon, Sister," Whitley said as if he hadn't lost his eldest sibling too. "Father won't be happy with you missing the entire event."

"I'm sure it will be fine."

Whitley shrugged and grinned. "If you say so."

Feeling like she had to get out of there as quickly as possible, Weiss walked towards her room at a brisk pace. But, at the last second, she turned and headed to Whitley's room instead. She hadn't meant to come here, but his suspicious, everlasting grin drove her inside. The door was locked, but it was nothing a quick glyph couldn't fix. Turning the handle felt like justice.

Whitley's room had the exact same layout as Weiss', but it was filled with economic reports from the four kingdoms. They were pinned to the walls and spread out on his desk and table. Even the extra chairs were covered in a layer of paper. Weiss had already read them before, but Whitley shouldn't have access to them yet since he wasn't a branch holder.

Weiss couldn't help but wonder what strings he pulled to get these. The reports went back to five years ago… right after Winter left for Mistral. Certain parts were covered in red ink with acronyms and obscure numbers written beside them, but she didn't know what his analysis was supposed to mean. Weiss narrowed her eyes and kept searching, encouraged by that discovery. With her family, nothing was ever coincidence.

Unfortunately, nothing else looked suspicious. Weiss was convinced there had to be more, though, and kept searching. She started moving furniture and digging in drawers. Still, nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.

Weiss opened Whitley's armoire and flicked through his clothes, not surprised when she didn't find anything. As she was closing the armoire, a shirt fell from its hangar. When she bent down to pick it up off of the wooden bottom, she noticed a strange crack underneath Whitley's extra shoes.

Weiss cleared them away, finding a small indent in the wood. She pushed it, and a spring-loaded trap door popped open to reveal a hidden compartment. Letters were kept inside. She chose one and opened it.

Immaculate cursive with little flourish filled the paper in perfectly straight lines. Weiss would recognize that handwriting anywhere. It was Winter's. Or, Winter's handwriting from before she changed. But, as Weiss read the letter, she became increasingly shocked and confused. It read:

 _Weiss,_

 _I hope you are doing well. I realize it's been a while since my last letter. My apologies for my lateness-I've been busier with work than I originally anticipated. We've been perfecting the prototype for the armaments I described in my last letter. We're barely on schedule, but I hope to be able to show you our newest advancements in person at the next exposition in Atlas. I'll be looking forward to seeing your technologies for the guard as well. Perhaps we'd be able to exchange performance data._

 _How are you faring in the guard? I hear you've been working diligently. I can't say I'm surprised. You were always determined to excel in every field. However, don't let the completion of your duties get in the way of your health. You cannot neglect one and expect the other to maintain perfect form._

 _I spoke with Father. He seems pleased with you, though he's impatient for you to choose a rune master. The girl named Ruby Rose you've been working with seems promising. She's successful even at such a young age. It reminds me of you._

 _I won't keep you any longer. I can only hope you're receiving these letters… I apologize if I hurt you by being distant in the past. My frustrations with father and the company had no place as a burden on your shoulders. If you would like to discuss the matter further, doing so in person would be best. If you request it, I'll make time to meet you anywhere. I wish to make it clear how much I care for you. Please write back._

 _Until next time, Sister._

 _Winter Schnee_

This letter reminded Weiss of one she'd received from Winter before the rebellion… but it was a complete change in tone, and even content. Why would Whitley have something like this?

Weiss wasn't able to attend the exposition because she was busy at Beacon at the time. She'd never even heard of the armaments Winter was creating. Curious, she picked up the previous letter and read that one, too.

This was… everything she'd ever wanted Winter to say. And, what did she mean by "Please write back."? Weiss had always written back…

But she'd never read this.

Weiss stood abruptly and gathered all the letters. She returned the room to its original appearance, then nearly ran to the door. She needed answers.

As she was leaving, a note to the staff from Whitley caught her attention. It was a food request. When she compared the handwriting to what she was used to seeing from Winter, she noticed the two were similar. If nothing was mere coincidence in her family… had Whitley been intercepting and forging letters between her and Winter?

That discovery had her racing towards her own room.

/-/-/-/

Ruby knocked at the door with some hesitation. "Weiss…?" After hearing no response, she tried again. "Weiss? Hello?" Ruby narrowed her eyes. "Are you even in there?"

Further down the hallway, a set of footsteps drew her attention. Weiss was speeding towards her with both arms full of letters.

"Weiss! What are you doing out here? I thought you went back to your room because you weren't feeling well-ah!"

Weiss shuffled the letters into one arm and pulled Ruby inside her room. Then, she shoved the letters onto her bed, locked the door with a glyph, and rushed towards her desk.

"Weiss, what's happening? What are those?" Ruby questioned.

"I think I know who killed Winter," Weiss said, pulling out the metal box from her desk's bottom drawer.

Ruby gasped. "What? Who?" She raced over to the desk.

Weiss shook her head. "I need to know more first, but, trust me… This is something only my family would be capable of."  
"What do you mean?"

Weiss pulled the lid off the metal box. "I mean we're not safe here."

A close-fitting, Dust-woven shirt and a letter were placed neatly in the box. Ruby looked at it for a second, but she didn't know what to make of them, so she turned back to Weiss. "You mean, it was someone in this house?" she asked quietly. The kitchen staff, if no one else, seemed trustworthy.

Weiss unfolded the letter and read it. Her facial expression grew stormier as she read on. When she finished, she flipped the letter over. There was nothing on the back. Exhaling heavily, she picked up the shirt and held it up to examine its remarkable craftsmanship. Then, her arms lowered to her lap and she bowed her head.

"What did it say?" Ruby asked as gently as she could.

Without raising her gaze, Weiss slowly handed her the letter. It read:

 _Weiss,_

 _If you are reading this, my worst suspicions have gotten the better of me. Please do not let my death cloud your reasoning. Uninformed decisions will place you in more danger than you know. I suspect my communications with you have been intercepted in some manner… However, there's no longer a need to go over the past._

 _This family holds a secret. It led to my end not because I knew it, but because I couldn't agree with its politics. If you wish to learn it, look no further than our true financial records. Money has always spoken loudest in this family._

 _Also in this container is the prototype for my Dust armaments. Its true function relates directly to the family secret. I'd like for you to find a use for it._

 _I won't waste time being sentimental…_

 _Goodbye, Weiss._

And, just like that, it ended. Ruby furrowed her brows and studied it.

"How could I have been so stupid? All I've ever been is a pawn, even when I thought-" Weiss broke off and narrowed her eyes in pain. "I was so focused on my father's approval that I didn't notice when he took away the person I cared about the most. She was trying to reach out to me and I-I…" She exhaled, trembling as she did so. Her fists were balled. "I'm the incompetent one."

Borderline horrified, Ruby looked up from the letter. She'd never heard Weiss speak this way. Not only was she being completely candid, but… she was doubting herself. Ruby opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't find her voice.

Angry tears pooled in Weiss' eyes. As soon as Ruby saw them, her shock melted. For the first time, she felt like she was seeing Weiss clearly-without obstruction.

"You're not incompetent. I actually think you're pretty incredible, Weiss," Ruby said.

"How can you say that? Every misguided thing I've done has hurt you. You should hate me!"

"I did hate you," Ruby answered. "But, you're not some crazy monster. And, I guess… we never agree on anything, but, Weiss, if there's anything I know about you, it's that you never give up. And, that's not easy."

Weiss stared her. "But-"

"Weiss, I forgive you! You don't need to worry about it anymore! I'm your friend, and I want to find out what happened to Winter just like you do!" Ruby nearly shouted. "So… don't cry, okay?"  
"Ruby… I… understand." Weiss methodically smoothed out a wrinkle on Winter's shirt, then locked eyes with Ruby. "I promise I won't let your forgiveness go to waste."

"It's not about wasting my feelings-"

"That may be so," Weiss said. "But this is how I feel."

Ruby blinked, then nodded. "Okay."

/-/-/-/

Whitley sat across from the chocolate chip cookie, his manicured hands placed primly in his lap. Rumor had it that Ruby Rose was quite fond of these, so he'd written a note to the staff to have one delivered to his room after the dinner. Cactus cocoa had never seemed appealing before, but now he was rather eager to try it.

Picking up a fork and knife, he cut a perfect eighth of the cookie and held it up to study it. The scent was a little nutty with hints of what reminded him of red pepper. Humming aloud in interest, he leaned forward and bit into the fresh, rich, cookie.

The flavor almost made him laugh. It was terrible. Whitley wiped the cactus cocoa from his lips with a handkerchief and stood. Dumping the crumpled fabric onto the plate, he walked to window and put his hands in his pockets. He sighed.

Growing up was tedious. Maturity had nothing to do with age. Just look at Ruby-she still had a taste for such sweets. Whitley had inherited his mother's illness, meaning he never truly had a childhood. But, that didn't stop people from treating him like a mad toddler for most of his life. His siblings had wanted nothing to do with him, his parents isolated him, and his servants occasionally got down on one knee before talking to him.

Well, things were different now. His disabilities were all in the past, and people would do well to take note of that.

A knock at the door drew his attention.

"The master's presence has been requested. Master Jacques awaits in his study," a servant said.

Whitley smiled and headed for the door. This was something he'd been looking forward to.

As he arrived at his father's study, he saw Weiss approaching at roughly the same rate. She was alone.

"Hello, Weiss," Whitley grinned. "You seem to be doing better."

In reality, she seemed more bitter than ever, but there was more tenacity to it now. Weiss' icy blues darkened, and she frowned.

Whitley giggled at her. "Shall we go see what Father has to say?"

They entered the study together, taking seats across from Jacques as soon as they entered.

"Weiss, how many times do I have to tell you that our image is everything?" Jacques snapped immediately. "How dare you leave before dinner! Do you understand how many questions I had to answer about your mental health? The purpose of this dinner was to showcase the Schnee family's strength!" He paused, waiting for Weiss to reply.

She didn't.

Jacques clasped his hands in front of his face and exhaled in exasperation. "Are you mentally sound?"

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "I'm fine," she replied stiffly. Her face was oddly blank.

Whitley thought he detected a note of rage in her voice.

"Really? Then when we make our next big announcement, I want you to prove it. Whatever it takes to recover from this disgrace."

"What announcement?" Weiss questioned.

"Whitley's going to be taking over Winter's branch."

"What?" Weiss seethed. She locked eyes with Whitley. "You don't have the right."

"Of course he does," Jacques dismissed. "Even if you wanted to now, you couldn't handle another expansion in your branch. Whitley has yet to open one, and we can't let Winter's portion of the company simply go to waste. I'm backing it completely. He'll leave for Mistral in a week."

At that moment, Whitley couldn't push away the impression that his father was an idiot. He broke eye contact with Weiss and grinned. "Thank you for the opportunity, Father. I promise I'll make you proud."

"But-" Weiss objected.

Jacques wouldn't hear it. "That was all I wanted to tell you. You may go back to your room, Weiss. Whitley and I need to discuss transferring Winter's accounts."

Suddenly, the emotion on Weiss' face cut out. It was as if Jacques had blown out a candle. "Of course, Father," she answered coldly. She rose to leave.

Whitley grinned. "I'll see you later, Sister."

After she was gone, Jacques turned to him. "Does she seem different to you?" he asked.

"Not at all. Why?" Whitley asked innocently.

"Don't feign ignorance with me, Whitley," Jacques said.

Whitley closed his eyes and pretended to think about it. "I think she's heartbroken," he said softly.

But, heartbreak was something Jacques hardly understood. He rolled his eyes. "How puerile. She'll thank me for everything I've done for her years from now."

"Is that so?"

"Of course it is. Her attachment to Winter was the one thing that could have prevented her from success. Now that it's all taken care of…"

Whitley tuned out the rest.

"Now, about those accounts," Jacques continued a bit later, "I'm transferring the funds after you leave, and I expect at least fifteen percent returned for research."

"What will Mother do with the money?"

"That's up to her," Jacques dismissed. "I couldn't care less about how Merin deals with the Branwens so long as they uphold their end of the contract."

Whitley nodded. "Have they showed us any new areas to mine in Vacuo?"

"They're still scouting. Progress has been slow since the increase in Grimm began… Nothing a few million Lien can't fix."

"Well, Father, I'm sure everything will go according to plan," Whitley assured him. After a bit more discussion, he returned to his room. Once inside, he surveyed the economic reports covering the furniture. The only place free of them was where he'd sat to taste the cookie earlier. The servants had cleared away the plate and dirty handkerchief by now. All that time he spent monitoring Winter's expenditures to see if she was wiring money to Weiss or other troublesome sources really made him feel accomplished. After all, no average analyst could track a tenth of a Lien like he could.

Whitley's gaze eventually came to rest on his armoire.

Weiss' furious stare came back to him.

" _You don't have the right."_

Whitley shrugged and grinned. According to who?

He turned to go to bed, then abruptly spun back around and checked the armoire's hidden compartment. It was empty…

That irked him. So, Weiss had managed to see through him a bit...

Realising that made him restless. Should he go pay her a visit?

/-/-/-/

Ruby had tried calming Weiss, but that task proved impossible. Eventually, Weiss stopped fuming and started reading Winter's letters, but everything she read only added to the fire blazing beneath the surface.

Ruby kept a wary eye on her, but for the most part, she was entranced by Winter's prototype. It must have taken years to develop. The layering and threading technique was incredible. An opponent's blood wouldn't easily soak through, and the wearer's blood would be relatively isolated, meaning the hundreds of small spells meticulously woven into the fabric wouldn't activate at the wrong time or in the wrong place.

Not only that, but instead of using common spells, the prototype utilized scores of obscure keywords Ruby had no idea how to pronounce. How Winter's rune master knew this many different spells was beyond her. It was beautiful. Were they all sister spells? Both ice and fire Dust were used, so there had to be at least two basic effects… Ruby wanted to bring the shirt back to her room to study it, but she also didn't want to take it from Weiss.

Weiss put down a letter. "Three days from now, my father will leave for two nights to attend a summit in the castle. We can use that time to access his personal record room. In the meantime, we just have to act normal." She picked up the next letter Winter had sent her, and started to read it. When she finished, she set that one down, too. "We can't afford to make any mistakes."

Ruby nodded, but a knock at the door interrupted her reply.

"Weiss? Do you have a moment?" It was Whitley.

Ruby's stomach flipped. She started stuffing the prototype back into the metal box.

"What is he doing here?" Weiss bristled.

"Weiss, the letters!" Ruby warned.

Weiss threw an extra blanket over them and headed to the door. "What?" she hissed at Whitley.

"There's something I forgot to ask you," he explained. "Might I come in for some coffee?"

Weiss let him in. "I don't have any coffee," she said frostily.

"Oh, then I suppose conversation will have to do." When Whitley entered the room, he nodded and grinned at Ruby. "Hello, Ruby."

"H-Hi," Ruby strained, hoping she could keep the disgust off her face.

Whitley looked between Weiss and Ruby with a playful grin. "I must have caught you two off guard. My apologies… Not to worry, though. This won't take long."

"Did you come here to gloat?" Weiss jabbed.

"No, nothing like that… I was only wondering if you had any advice for me."

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"It's no secret that your branch is a huge success… I must admit, I look up to you, Sister. If you give me some advice before I leave for Mistral, I'll make it worth your while," Whitley grinned.

"What do you mean by that?"

Whitley looked at the metal box on Weiss' coffee table. Ruby hadn't had time to hide it. She was clearly nervous about it, which drew Whitley to it like a wolf was drawn to a sick calf. "What's in the box?" he asked suddenly.

Weiss concealed a wince. "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious. Perhaps it's a secret?"

"I don't have to tell you that."

"I suppose not," Whitley shrugged. He stood. "But, come on, Sister, we Schnees have never been good about keeping secrets from each other. We always find out everything one way or another…" He put a hand on the lid. "Right?" Whitley opened the box, then raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Is this from Winter?"

Weiss' veins were popping in rage. "Yes…" she managed.

Whitley picked up the shirt and examined it. "I'd like to take this with me when I go to Mistral. Would you consider it a gift for your dear brother?"

Ruby couldn't believe him. "What? You can't-"

"As the successor to Winter's branch, I'm entitled to all of her company assets. And, since this shirt was a part of her upcoming deal with Mistral's army… I do have the right to it."

Weiss' eyes narrowed to slits. She snatched the shirt from him. "I won't let you have it."

Whitley seemed like he was having fun. "Why not?"

Weiss tightened her grip on the shirt, and stared him down. "Winter gave this to me. It's not a company asset anymore, and I'm certainly not about to let you take it from me."

Whitley shook his head. "But, as long as the deal with the army still stands…"

"I don't care about that!"

"You should," Whitley said. He cast a longing look at the prototype.

In the heat of the moment, Weiss thrust the prototype over a nearby candelabra.

Ruby shouted in alarm, but it was too late. The prototype caught fire. Weiss held it as it burned, her face an amalgam of complicated emotions. Whitley watched, looking mildly unamused for once.

Eventually, the flames were too close to Weiss' hands for her to continue holding the shirt, so she dropped it. Ruby sprang at the chance to try saving what was left, but there weren't more than a few burnt tatters. "Weiss, why…?" she started, but she already knew the answer.

Weiss exhaled and drew up her composure. "Goodnight, Whitley." Her eyes glinted with triumph, shining through the tendrils of smoke hanging in her room.

Whitley clenched his jaw.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Merin and Whitley


	31. Merin and Whitley

~~AAAND START!~~ (Merin and Whitley)

Whitley leaned against a wall in the long, underground corridor. Merin was checking on the goddess, and would probably be a while. It wasn't her Whitley was waiting for, though. It was the pair walking towards him right now. Their footsteps echoed into the whiteness. Whitley watched for them, a grin playing on his lips. They'd probably just come from the record room. After all, that was the only logical place to start looking for answers in this house.

Soon, Whitley's patience was rewarded. Weiss and Ruby finally reached him.

"Are you looking for mother, Sister? I'm afraid she won't be back for a while."

"Whitley," Weiss said disgustedly. "What is this place?"

"It seems like a hallway to me," Whitley answered, shrugging. He stood and stepped towards the two. "What Mother does in her free time truly is odd. She spends an awful lot of time down here."

"It can't just be a hallway," Ruby said. "We saw the records, Whitley, give it up."

"So, Father's been sending Mother some Dust on the side… I don't see how that proves anything." Whitley paused. "What are you looking to prove, anyway?" He gasped. "You don't suspect me of anything, do you?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes and tried to shoulder past him. "Step aside, Whitley."

"Sorry, but I can't let you disturb Mother's work. It's very important. We can't have anyone screwing it up, now can we?" Whitley grinned.

Weiss put a hand on Myrtenaster's hilt. "Whitley," she warned. "Don't stand in my way."

Whitley's grin lowered a bit. His fingers grazed the hilt of his own sword. "Are you sure you want to do this, Sister?"

"I'm positive."

Whitley drew Trabant. The elegant rapier reflected the whiteness of the walls. "Okay, then. But, you do realize there's no stopping until this is over."

Weiss exhaled, her breath a pure white mist. She and Ruby drew their weapons. "I'm perfectly aware of that," she said.

"I should warn you, this won't be easy… You're not the only one with aura," Whitley said. He activated his aura, and white veins rose near the surface of his skin. An indirect ice aura.

Weiss didn't even look surprised. "If you're so confident, stop talking and fight."

Whitley laughed. "If you insist." At that moment, he activated his semblance. Two spinning glyphs appeared on either side of him. A pair of white dobermans sprang out of them and lunged at Weiss and Ruby.

Ruby tried to slice one in half with Crescent Rose, but the scythe passed through it. The doberman bit her forearm, and tugged her to the ground.

"Ruby!" Weiss shouted in alarm. She dodged the doberman heading for her, and rushed to help.

Whitley wouldn't give her the chance. He attacked, and their rapiers clashed.

"I'm okay!" Ruby strained, but she was clearly losing ground. The blood around the doberman's teeth was beginning to freeze, and she couldn't push the beast away. "Uh… Weiss, it's not coming off!"

Whitley giggled, trading blows with Weiss again. She glared at him and took a quick step back, trying to map out a path to Ruby. The second doberman leapt at her again. Acting on instinct, she created a glyph to slow it down. As the beast passed through the glyph, she sensed that its structure was familiar.

Weiss created a line of glyphs in the doberman's path, trying to understand what she was feeling. "Hang on!" she hollered, parrying Whitley for a third time.

"My arm's freezing," Ruby wailed.

Finally, Weiss pinned the feeling. Her last glyph contracted, and Whitley's doberman burst into snow. She instantly dispelled the one attacking Ruby as well. Her brother's creations felt like something she could have made. Maybe not in the same shape, but…

Weiss imitated his summoning glyph. Frozen shrapnel spewed forth. Whitley dispelled the ice needles with glyphs of his own, and the two's swords met again. Trabant grazed Weiss' cheek, but Myrtenaster bit into Whitley's side. If it was just a battle of swords, Weiss was confident she could win.

But, it wasn't just a battle of swords. Whitley quickly made it into a battle of glyphs as well. In order to dispel his summons, Weiss had to split her focus between what was in front of her and what leapt at her from behind. Eventually, Whitley got the upper hand. He deftly maneuvered a riposte, then lunged for Weiss' vitals.

Before Trabant could pierce flesh, Whitley stopped. If he'd advanced another inch, Crescent Rose would have taken off his head. A single rose petal balanced atop the scythe's blade. Everyone froze for a moment. Ruby locked eyes with Weiss.

Then, Whitley bent backwards, slipping out from under the scythe. He created a few more glyphs, but Weiss nullified them. She and Ruby began their assault, with Weiss focusing on defense and Ruby on offense.

After a particularly vicious exchange of blows, Ruby leapt backwards. "Weiss!"

Weiss took the cue and launched forward using a speed glyph. She thrust the tip of her rapier downwards. "Zero!"

Dust spikes formed, impaling Whitley's sword arm. He paused, watching the white veins on his arm form a pathway to the ice. Trabant clattered to the ground. Suddenly, his face screwed into a mixture of pure revolt and terror. He exhaled sharply and immediately inhaled again. Coughed.

Ruby sped forwards, aiming to force him into submission, but one of his glyphs blocked her scythe.

A fraction of a second later, his summoning glyphs were everywhere.

"I can't get rid of all those," Weiss warned, spiking her aura to guard against what may come. She could try summoning something herself, but she clearly couldn't control that yet…

A howl echoed from the glyphs. Whatever Whitley was summoning with all those, it wouldn't be a normal adversary…

Before the summoning could be completed, however, an enormous white glyph appeared on the hallway floor. No one had seen Merin approaching, but she walked into the battle with her usual unhurried gait. "Hush," she said, and the ice Dust spikes disappeared along with everyone's auras. Ruby and Weiss doubled over. It felt like the wind had been ripped from their lungs and replaced with ice.

Whitley collapsed. His hands ran through his white hair. He'd begun hyperventilating.

"Whitley, you're injured," Merin said.

"No…" Whitley whimpered. He was beginning to cry. "Go away, Mother, I'm fine. I'll be fine."

"You need-"

"Go away! I don't want you helping me, you diseased-" Whitley broke off in a coughing fit. "You're the reason why I'm like this! Why don't you show her to them? Show them your statue, Mother! The reason for all this damned suffering!"

Merin took a sip of tea from the cup in her hand. "Whitley…" she said. "I never meant for you to inherit my condition. I love you too much to wish that upon you. Please. I'll call a servant."

"Don't bother!" Whitley screamed. "It's over, anyway! Everything's over! I hate you!"

Merin turned towards Weiss and Ruby as he sobbed. She seemed dejected, but the minimal expression on her face made it hard to tell. "Follow me," she told them. Her voice sounded heavy. Tired. She took another sip of tea and headed down the hallway.

"Whitley, what's happening?" Weiss questioned.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked.

Whitley froze when he heard their voices. After a moment, he took a deep breath and lowered his hands to his sides. He grinned. "Don't worry about me, Weiss. Of course you would use Dust when you fight. I should be used to things like this by now…"

Weiss glanced in the direction Merin headed off in. "Things like what?"

"Why don't you follow Mother? I'm sure she'll tell you everything."

Ruby and Weiss shared a look of confusion.

"But…" Ruby began.

Weiss put a hand to the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Let's go, Ruby. This is a waste of time."

"We're just going to leave him?"

"It's what he wants," Weiss stated simply. "And, we came down here for a reason."

"Yeah, except…" Ruby stared at Whitley. "I just have the feeling that…" She shook her head and followed Weiss down the white hallway.

Whitley laughed after them. "Goodbye, Sister," he said.

When he was certain they were out of earshot, he coughed.

/-/-/-/

Merin took a sip of tea and stared at the large metal door at the end of the hallway. Weiss and Ruby were behind her, gaping at it. "Before we enter, you should know… I am responsible for Winter's death."

Weiss jolted. "What?"

Merin nodded slowly. "She came to this door one day, convinced she would discover what was behind it, and I… did not turn her away. I showed her what I am about to show you now, and I gave her access to everything I know." She turned to Weiss. "So. Knowing that, do you still wish to enter? Do you still trust me to show you?"

Weiss' mouth opened, then closed a moment later. This was the most she'd ever heard Merin speak at a time, and what she was saying made sense only in the fact that it matched her exhausted voice. Weiss recognized it as grief. "I want to see what's beyond the door," she said.

Merin nodded and unlocked the metal door with a glyph. A rush of cold air blasted the three of them. The darkness seemed like a blinding, black light. By now, Merin was used to it.

"Weiss, do you believe in the 'Goddess'?" she asked as they neared the end of the dark corridor. Their torches flickered as they walked.

"Of course I do," Weiss answered immediately.

Merin took a sip of tea, then lit the room with Shine. "This is her."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, staring in awe at the woman on the pedestal.

"Her name… is Salem," Merin said. "Long ago, she absorbed most of the Archdemon to save Remnant, but it slowly consumes her… Her descendants made a contract with our family some time ago. My father and I would use our natural affinity to Dust to find a spell that would freeze her forever in return for guaranteed success. Our family's standing is not a coincidence…" Merin drank more of her tea. "When your sister learned this, she couldn't accept it. The armaments she was designing were developed to combat the Archdemon's progress. Weiss, Ruby… Don't do anything rash now that you know."

"That can't be true," Ruby said, incredulous.

"I suppose it's natural not to believe me… The next time you see Yang, ask her. The contract that binds us all was created by her mother, after all."

"What does Yang have to do with… I don't…"

Merin gazed at the corrupted figure on the pedestal. "One thing Salem's descendants have in common is their red eyes."

"No way…" Ruby breathed.

"You can't be telling the truth," Weiss denied.

Merin looked at her with what sternness she could muster. "You stand here looking at her, and you still doubt me? Don't be foolish, Weiss." She sipped her tea, noting that her cup was now around a quarter of the way full. "Let's return to my study."

"You say all this like it doesn't matter!" Weiss broke suddenly. "I grew up sleeping above the Goddess? How is she so-so-she's just frozen! Do you mean to tell me everything I've been taught about her is a lie? The whole world believes in her! Was it all just-" She looked at the blackness blooming on Salem's white body. "An illusion?" she finished.

"Various religious institutions and governments help fund my research," Merin explained. "But, people have always formed their own ideas about Remnant's past." She began heading for the exit. Weiss and Ruby remained behind for some time, but eventually caught up with her. As the metal door closed, Merin suddenly doubted whether or not she'd done the right thing by telling them. She didn't have the energy to converse much longer, either… Surely she hadn't given them enough to time to let it sink in… But, there was nothing else she could do, and no one else would have shown them.

She thought about Whitley. The family secret had destroyed each of her children's lives. Maybe Whitley's the most… Merin took a sip of tea, hating its taste.

As they reached the spot where he was in the hallway before, Merin felt a chill go down her spine. A thin, white liquid ran down the walls and pooled on the floor. In the center of it, Whitley was laughing desperately to himself whilst apologizing profusely to someone unseen, saying he'd make it better.

All the while, Beowolves he'd summoned devoured him.

Ruby and Weiss stopped in their tracks.

Merin's face fell in what little way it could. She should have known… But, Whitley could make his own decisions, and he'd chosen this over the repetition of his childhood.

One of his Beowolves approached her and rolled over onto its back in submission. She created a glyph underneath it and the others. "Hush," she whispered.

The thin, white liquid turned to blood. The Beowolves disappeared, and Whitley… faded.

Tears fell down Ruby's face, but she and Weiss were still too shocked to move or say anything.

"Shortly after you were born," Merin said to Weiss, "I noticed that Salem's condition was worsening. Late one night, I performed an experiment with Dust, and as a result, I developed an acute form of Dust sickness.

"I had hoped to hear the voices in the Dust better in order to discover more keywords. While that did happen, I became addicted to Dust in the process. If I were to stop drinking this tea…" She sipped the tea and continued. "When Whitley was born, he inherited my condition. It took him years to stop having symptoms of withdrawal. When he was hit with Zero earlier, his body resumed its addiction. As it was, recovery would have been impossible for him at his age… He chose to succumb to it instead. Merin pursed her lips. "Again… I take full responsibility for this as well."

/-/-/-/

Merin sat alone in her study. A briefcase rested on her lap. Jacques, that foolish and cruel man, was still at the castle. Winter, whom she'd loved deeply, was dead. Whitley, for whom she felt endless guilt, was dead. Weiss and Ruby were probably still in shock on their own somewhere.

It had been over four decades since she'd begun serving the Branwens, and she'd still been unable to fulfill the contract. Every epiphany she'd had was useless, but she was still hanging on to hope that one day, she'd hear the right keyword. In truth, she was a coward who had poisoned her family because of her inability to fulfill her end of the deal. She was still holding back because even in this torturous life of hers, she had the illusion that she could live for something without killing it.

No longer.

Merin opened the briefcase. An ice Dust crystal so pure it was a deep blue rested in the velvet interior. It had the rarest level of purity on Remnant-there was nothing else like it in her possession-but if it gave her the final epiphany, it would be enough. She picked up the small crystal and looked at the door. She'd made sure the servants had locked it. Her book of spells was opened to a blank page nearby.

Deciding she was ready enough, she placed the crystal on her tongue, and crushed it with her teeth.

/-/-/-/

Jacques threw a vial of Merin's blood at the metal door. "Open, damn it!" he roared at it. The wind Dust mechanism groaned and puffed, turning gears inside the framework. Eventually, the door slid open. Jacques stormed inside, lighting a torch as he marched towards Salem. Wretched thing! She'd only brought misfortune upon his family.

When he'd returned from the castle, a servant had quietly taken him aside and whispered, "Madame Weiss doesn't yet know this, but the Sir should know that…"

After hearing the news about Merin, he'd demanded to speak with a Branwen. However, no Branwen was willing to speak with him. Instead, he was advised to keep the contract from falling apart. That was when he was told about Whitley as well.

With Merin's spell book tucked firmly under his arm, he stalked through the darkness and went up to the pedestal. He opened her book to the last page, and stopped. There was no pronunciation written, and no way to copy the spell onto Salem's body without a rune master. Jacques threw aside the book and illuminated Salem's face with the torchlight. "You abomination," he spat. "Curse you for everything you've done to me. Everything I own was ruined by you!" He shook with rage. "Had I known what I was marrying into…"

As he trembled, hot ash from the torch fell onto Salem's forehead.

Jacques lowered his face so he could take in every detail of the cursed witch before him, mustache twitching as he raved on about his lost empire.

It took him some time to realize that as he glared at her, the color was returning to her body. Once he noticed that, however, it was too late.

For the first time in thousands of years, Salem opened her red eyes… and glared back.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Destruction and Revival


	32. Destruction and Revival

~~AAAND START!~~ (Destruction and Revival)

After travelling for so long, Blake finally reached Raven's temple. She consulted Yang's sketchbook for a final time, certain this was the place. Yang's drawings and reality were a perfect match. Worshippers on their way in edged away from her as she entered. Blake looked out of place here-most of these people had never seen a Faunus before. At least, not one with a sword and in good health.

When she entered the prayer room, the first thing she noticed was that the rubble from Raven's broken statue was gone. Instead, two slabs of rock propped up a smaller bust of her and something else… Blake had to get closer in order to believe it.

Sure enough, Ember Celica-badly disfigured-rested on the marble. Yang never went anywhere without her gauntlets, so why were they here? "Keeper of Wrath" was etched beneath them. Blake furrowed her brow and reached out to touch them.

"Yang's not here," a woman said.

Blake swung around to face her, and was shocked when she came face-to-face with Emerald. She jumped back and reached for her sword. "What are you doing here?" she hissed.

Emerald smirked at her surprise. "I'm the archivist," she replied.

"You died."

"I faked my own death."

Blake's fingertips brushed Equinox's hilt. "Why are you here?"

Emerald rolled her eyes. "I have to admit, I thought you were smarter than this. She saved you, and now you've come to throw it all away?"

"I'm not throwing it away."

Emerald laughed. "So, dying will return the favor?"

Blake's hand dropped back to her side. She narrowed her eyes. "Where's Yang?"

"I wouldn't know, but now that you're here, I doubt she'll be back. Except, you're going to wait for her anyway, aren't you? Well… have fun with that. Just don't stay here too long." Emerald paused for a thoughtful moment. "Actually, I'm interested to see what will happen to you two. You're not any of Raven's typical contractees. I almost hope everything works out."

Blake raised an eyebrow.

But, Emerald was already heading back to the archives.

/-/-/-/

Weiss lay stretched out on her bed, staring at the ceiling. There was just way too much to process. Salem, Whitley and Merin, Winter, and even-somehow-Yang. Usually, Weiss was good at pushing aside her convoluted thoughts and feelings in order to get things done, but there was nothing to be done now. There was no real justice to be had. Whitley was dead, and her father was the last thing worth thinking about. Her meetings for the day weren't that important, and her life was a lie.

She could hear the silence in the room. It had a certain weight to it. Just enough to remind her of everything, while also allowing her to distance herself from it as well. Weiss wanted to sink into her sheets, but she didn't want to become more trapped than she already was, sinking deeper into the lies around her. Literally everything she'd valued was...

Ruby huffed out a heavy sigh from where she was on the couch. She looked partially melted-her limbs spilled over the sides, and her head lolled back so she could stare at the ceiling as well. Then, she jumped up. "Okay, Weiss. Now what?"

Weiss didn't answer. How was she supposed to know?

"Weiss?" Ruby asked.

No answer.

"Weiss…?" Ruby walked over to the bed and leaned over it until she could look Weiss in the eyes.

Weiss slowly met her gaze.

They sat like that for a while. Ruby's silver eyes studying Weiss' icy blues. Then, Ruby exhaled, having come to some sort of conclusion. She sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hands on Weiss' shoulders.

"Don't touch me," Weiss mumbled. She was miserable enough as it was.

"Weiss, you need to get up," Ruby said, pulling her up to a sitting position. "We can't just lay around!" Her grip on Weiss' shoulders tightened. "We have to do something."

Weiss frowned. "Do what?"

Ruby thought about it for a second. "I want to talk to Yang. There's just so much I don't understand. If she's really involved in all this, I want to hear her explain everything to me in her own words."

Weiss exhaled, her gaze sliding off to the side. "Ruby, I…"

"Weiss." Ruby said, shaking her slightly. "Don't give up."

"I'm not giving up," Weiss said. "But, I…"

Ruby smiled gently. "Okay… If you're feeling lost, you can just follow me."

"Huh?"

"You've been through a lot, so, I'll take it from here."

Weiss' jaw slackened. Since when did Ruby… start being so… dependable?

No, Ruby had been this way from the start. Weiss just hadn't really wanted to see it before. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to see it now. It was comforting, yet it made her want to cry. Wasn't blindly following along what got her into this mess? Still… Weiss certainly wasn't blind now. She'd seen everything for what it really was. Shouldn't she be making some kind of a choice now? Maybe following was the only thing she was good at.

"Oh," Ruby realized. "You don't have to do what I say or anything, though."

Weiss half-laughed, half-sobbed at that. "Ruby, you dolt," she said, batting Ruby's arms away and getting out of bed. "Just what do you think leading means?"

"Um… Well, I have somewhere I want to go, and it'd be nice if you came with me…"

When she put it like that, Weiss couldn't help but laugh. It was weird. She hadn't laughed in a while, but somehow, after all these terrible things, she felt more free to do it now than she ever had before. She pulled on her coat, then walked back over to Ruby, feeling refreshed. Forget leading or following, Weiss needed to find her own purpose. She managed a smile at Ruby. "Thank you. For saying that, and for being here…"

A moment later, Weiss dropped the smile. It didn't feel normal.

But, Ruby was beaming back at her. "Of course! We're friends, aren't we?"

Weiss was struck with the impression that maybe Ruby was from a different world. "I suppose… we are," she agreed. Then, she folded her arms and nodded towards the door. "Shall we go to the port? We have a boat to catch."

Ruby sprang up and tugged on her coat. "Yeah! Let's go to Menager-"

Without warning, a burst of violet of light blinded them. The grating sound of static drowned out everything but the occasional pop. Less than half a minute of it was enough to feel like a hundred dragging days. It cut off abruptly.

Ruby raced for the window. Whatever that was, it felt like it was coming from Salem's chamber.

Weiss went to look, too, and was shocked by what she saw.

A yawning hole had been vaporized into the house… and the mountain above it. Snow, arctic air, and sunlight descended into Atlas. But, not only that… Grimm were coming in, too. Scores of Wyverns and Sirens sped towards the kingdom. It wasn't long until Grimm started emerging from the walls of ice surrounding the city as well. Civilians ran for their homes. The entire kingdom was in panic.

Ruby activated her aura. "I don't know what just happened, but we have to go fight those Grimm!"

Weiss knew there were too many to put a dent in, but if they didn't try anything, the city would be destroyed.

The two raced for the door.

/-/-/-/

Raven entered her quarters with a glass of red wine in one hand. She was at a wealthy landowner's house, taking care of a Grimm infestation, and had been treated like royalty every step of the way. Not that it mattered what level of treatment she was given. As long as it was adequate.

As soon as she stepped into her room, her glass of wine fell to the floor, shattering.

Salem was appraising herself in the mirror as she wiped blood from her hands with a white handkerchief. Merin's spell book rested on the bed along with an outfit Salem had picked out, but hadn't put on yet. Raven had sensed a restlessness in the Void, yet she hadn't thought it meant this…

Upon hearing the glass shatter, Salem turned to Raven. "Ah… Yemf roye obel. Raven, close the door."

Raven did as requested, then got down on one knee and bowed her head. "Salem…"

"Don't bow. There is no time for that… I met Jacques-Merin's husband. He proved… useful. I believe I'm caught up on the world's relations for the time being. Though, I used quite a bit of energy creating a portal to get here. If we fail to intervene soon, Atlas will fall." Salem returned her attention to the mirror. "All things rise and fall… and rise again. We are all drawn to despair, spiralling towards the abyss, hoping the light we spurn will reach out to save us. It's spreading on me even now. I have four months to live. Are you prepared?"

"Yes."

Salem nodded. "Good. That should aid you," she said, referring to the book on the bed.

Raven opened it to the final entry. A new keyword was written in blood. She snapped the book closed. "There's someone you should meet."

"She visited me once before, didn't she?"

"Yes. She is your successor." Raven opened a portal. "Please, follow me."

/-/-/-/

Yang stared at her reflection in the lake. Though she'd mastered the Chimaera, her Grimm scar had taken her entire right arm. It was strange to see the midnight appendage on the water's surface. Yang wondered how Blake would react.

She knew that Blake was at the temple, but she hadn't absorbed any Grimm that would be able to help with the contract yet. There was no way Raven was going to change her mind, either. All she could do was hope and continue searching.

A little while ago, she'd sensed a disturbance in the Void, but she wasn't sure what it meant. Whatever it was, it affected somewhere far away…

A portal opened a fair distance behind her. Yang scrambled to a standing position when she saw who walked through.

Salem dipped her head. "Greetings, Yang. I am Salem." She approached, lifting up Yang's blackened arm to study it. "So… you are my successor."

Yang retracted her arm and took a step backwards. She cast a questioning glance towards Raven.

"Salem's awakening has stirred the Grimm in Atlas," Raven said.

Yang immediately thought of Ruby and Weiss.

"Raven and I will terminate the threat in Atlas," Salem assured her. "I need you to go to Vale. My other half will attract attention, too."

Other half…? Yang blinked. Oh. She meant Sun. "But, what about Ruby-"

Raven had been expecting that. "No harm will befall your sister or her partner. You have my word."

Because that meant a lot to Yang.

"We each have roles we are best at playing. In Vale, things may progress to the point where there will be a task only you have the ability to complete," Salem said. "Which is why we need you there. Raven and I have our own reasons for going to Atlas. As for the other kingdoms… The Grimm will certainly be stirred, but our clan will ensure they are kept in control."

Raven nodded, and opened a portal. "When everything has calmed, find us. We have a lot to discuss."

Great, more "discussion." Yang wasn't on board with any of this. She shook her head. "I can't just leave Ruby."

"Go to Vale, Yang," Salem ordered. "Or she will be in far more danger when my counterpart succumbs to the Archdemon."

Yang grimaced. Sun didn't deserve that. "Okay. I'll go to Vale. But, if anything happens to Weiss or my sister…"

Raven raised an eyebrow. Then, she and Salem walked through the portal.

With a frustrated growl, Yang opened her own golden portal to Vale.

/-/-/-/

Atlas was in bad shape when Raven and Salem arrived. Most of the city's firelight had gone out some time ago, and the light from Dust spells was fading as time went on. Tunnels to smaller villages like Onus had collapsed-the people living in them were probably dead by now.

Salem judged the situation. There were hundreds of Grimm, and Atlas wasn't small by any means. This would require some energy. "Raven, you have five minutes."

Raven closed her eyes and focused on sensing Ruby and Weiss' location. They were surrounded by Grimm a short ways south of her. Gripping Merin's book, she turned and walked towards them, slashing apart Grimm as she went.

They were handling their situation well. Fatigue was an issue, but they'd been fighting for some time. If Raven didn't have business with them, she would have left them alone.

She gripped her sword and inhaled. As she exhaled, she executed the enemies in front of her. This many Grimm was a simple task. Raven didn't give them any more consideration than they were worth…

In the dimming light, she could just make out Ruby and Weiss' surprise. She stepped over the decaying Grimm as she approached. "Weiss Schnee. My name is Raven Branwen. Your family has violated their end of the contract, meaning Salem has awoken. Being that you are the only surviving member of the family, you alone will pay the consequences."

Weiss' eyes widened. "Only surviving-"

"All SDC assets will be confiscated. Your position as the heiress to the company is null and void. Instead, the Branwens will inherit it. Your last name will mean nothing from this point forward. Considering that all of Atlas believes your family is responsible for the sudden increase in Grimm, I believe that is a benefit."

"What…?"

"Starting now, there is not a single Lien to your name."

"You can't do that!" Ruby huffed. She was still catching her breath. "Weiss had nothing to do with the contract. She worked really hard to get where she is-you can't just take it all away from her!"

"It's already done," Raven said. "The terms of the contract had been decided before either of you were born. There is nothing you can do to amend them. Especially now that they have been honored." She paused for a moment. "However, I do have a personal request to ask of you." She held out Merin's book. "This is something I have no use for. I'd like to return it."

Weiss took the book from her. "And? What's your request?"

"Just before her death, Merin wrote her final epiphany on the last page. This is the only thing that can save Remnant now. In four months' time, the Archdemon will awaken. I'd like you to determine how to pronounce the keyword so we can return it to its slumber when that time comes."

Ruby eyed the book. "But-"

"Failure to develop this spell will result in the world's destruction. Yang will await your arrival in Mistral. Do you agree to help?"

"Are you really Yang's mom?" Ruby asked.

Raven tilted her head in affirmation. "She is my daughter."

"Then, why'd you leave her? Being without you was really hard on Yang…"

Raven wondered if Ruby was even listening to her. They didn't have much more time. "Are you going to assist us or not?"

"Um… Well, if the world needs me, I'd be happy to help," Ruby said.

"Good. Then, I'll see you in Mistral." At that, Raven opened a portal to leave. Salem was ready by now. "I suggest you close your eyes."

"Hey, wait! I still want to ask you about-"

Raven slipped into the portal just as a brilliant violet light coated the kingdom.

/-/-/-/

When the light faded, Ruby and Weiss realized that Raven had gone. And, so had the Grimm. "So… I guess that light came from Salem," Ruby said.

"And, it vaporized my parents," Weiss finished sickly.

"I'm so sorry, Weiss. I didn't like your dad, but I didn't want him to die...! I can't believe that happened!"

"They probably knew it was a possibility…"

Ruby pouted. "Yeah, but…"

Weiss shook her head. "May we stop at a bank? If it's still intact, I'd like to see if what Raven said was true."

"You mean, all that stuff about the money? Yeah, that sounds pretty important."

The two dusted themselves off and walked through the dim streets. All the while, they half-expected a Grimm to jump out at them, but there wasn't a single one to be found. "Wow, Salem's really powerful," Ruby breathed. "I'm glad we don't have to fight her."

"She survived in ice Dust for thousands of years… I'm sure that takes a certain kind of person," Weiss agreed.

Eventually, they reached an upscale bank that was just reopening. It was a phenomenon exclusive to Atlas-almost every unharmed facility was back open to the public by now. Weiss drew up her posture and approached the teller. "I'd like to make a withdrawal," she said.

"Of course. And, what is the Madame's account name?"

"Schnee."

The teller paged through a small book for a moment, then shook their head. "I'm sorry, but there is no account under that name here. Perhaps the Madame has the banks confused."

"I know I have the right bank-my family has kept its accounts here for generations!" Weiss protested. "Are you sure it's not there? Check again."

The teller, surprised by her sudden outburst, checked the book one more time. "I really must apologize. There is no such account here. Shall I check past records?"

"Please. I want to know if the account was just closed."

"Ah, yes. If the Madame would excuse me, I shall be just a moment."

Weiss nodded, and the teller went into the back for a bit.

When they returned, Weiss knew the outcome of their search based on their face alone.

"I regret to inform you that there has never been an account under the name Schnee at this bank. I'm afraid I've never even heard the name before. Is it Altesian?"

"Yes, it is…" Weiss grew quiet. She snapped herself out of it a few moments later. "Thank you for checking. That will be all."

"My pleasure."

Ruby approached the teller. "Uh… is there an account for Rose?"

The teller flipped a page in the book. "Yes. Would the Madame like to make a withdrawal? I need only see proof of identification."

"No… Thanks, but I was just wondering."

"I must admit, this is a rather strange occurrence after the Grimm attack. Do either of the Madames need medical attention? Perhaps the Madames have been confused by a Siren's song? Or, that flash of light… Do the Madames know the cause of it? There is a rumor that it was divine," the teller said, clearly concerned.

"I dunno, I guess we might have heard a couple Sirens somewhere or something…" Ruby, strained. She knew she was terrible at deception, but she still attempted it anyway. She glanced at Weiss. "Anyways, we really should be going. Uh, sorry to bother you. Have a good day!" Then, she winced at her own awkwardness. Have a good day? The teller's house was probably just destroyed by a pack of Wyverns!

The teller blinked. "The Madame should know I will try."

When they were back outside, Weiss pulled her elaborate coat closer to her frame. "So, it was the truth… My family name has been wiped from existence."

Ruby smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Weiss. I still think you're important." She paused. "And, I have money."

Weiss exhaled forcefully, then crossed her arms. "Money is the least of our concerns. We need to get on a boat to Mistral."

"Right," Ruby nodded. "Also, I have to figure out that keyword… I can't wait until we see Yang!"

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "She has a lot of explaining to do."

"I wonder what how she feels about her mom."

Weiss' face screwed up at the mention of Raven. No matter how Yang felt, Weiss definitely hated her.

"She was kinda strange… But, she looked a lot like Yang, didn't she?" Ruby continued.

"I suppose," Weiss admitted.

Eventually, Ruby dropped it. "I guess we'll figure that stuff out later."

For now, they needed to catch a boat.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: The Counterpart


	33. The Counterpart

~~AAAND START!~~ (The Counterpart)

Sun hadn't been able to sleep at all that night. He kept having the same dream.

 _Struggling to revive_

 _Hidden in her thawing blood_

 _Early spring morning_

He wanted to go somewhere, but he couldn't make enough sense out of the dream to figure out where that somewhere was. Instead, he just sat and watched the beginnings of a sunrise as the rest of team PNRPS slept. Sun absentmindedly scratched his tail and yawned. Not being able to sleep was irritating. They were in the middle of nowhere, too, so there was nothing to do. At the moment, they were trying to find plants with aura to study, but they hadn't had much luck with it. The entire forest was like a dead zone. There were hardly any Grimm, and the only living thing was the vegetation.

Suddenly, Sun heard something in the bushes nearby. It sounded big-probably as big as a person. He grabbed his staff and braced himself. He was not prepared to see Yang walk out of the forest.  
"Hey, Sun," she greeted with a sheepish smile. "How's it going?"

"Yang?" Sun exclaimed. "What the-" He jumped back and looked her up and down. A hundred questions popped into his head, but he started with, "What happened to your arm?"

"Oh, this?" Yang asked, holding up her blackened right arm. "It's a super long story."

Sun didn't really understand, but if it was related to her weird outfit, he felt like he could kind of make sense of it. "Okay, but where's Blake?"

"She's… in Mistral," Yang sighed.

"Why Mistral?"

"Again, it's a pretty long story."

"Yeah, well… there's not exactly a lot to do right now. You can tell me if you want," Sun said, shrugging. "I'll listen."

Yang shook her head. "Thanks, but I'm actually here to-"

Pyrrha rubbed the sleep from her eyes and squinted. "Yang?" The others were waking up, too.

Within a few minutes, they were all sitting together. Yang was doing her best to explain why she was there, but it sounded disjointed. It was almost as if she was purposefully keeping them in the dark on some things. Was it really for the sake of time, or something else entirely…? Either way, Sun still trusted her. It may have been a long time since they'd seen each other, but that didn't change the fact that they were friends.

"So, we don't have a lot of time," Yang warned, finishing her speech.

Just after she said that, the tinging of several small bells echoed into the clearing. The chorus repeated itself in rhythmic intervals, slowly getting closer to the group.

"Bring on the beasties!" Nora cheered, equipping her hammer.

Yang cracked her knuckles. Everyone activated their auras.

When the Grimm came into view, Nora groaned. "Not that thing," she whined.

A stag-like Grimm trudged into the clearing. After every sluggish step, bone bells hanging from its antlers shook and played. It was a Harbinger. Team PNRPS had heard stories about it in various villages-it was quite rare… It was also the only non-aggressive Grimm native to the region. Talk about a let-down. Even the Grimm in this forest were boring.

The Harbinger approached and inspected each of them. When it reached Yang, it sniffed her Grimm scar, bellowed nervously, shook its head, and quickly moved on. Yang raised an eyebrow as she watched it go.

When the Harbinger got to Sun, it stopped and sniffed his Grimm scar with great interest. Then, it started to open its mouth. Everything was fine until its jaw unhinged and its maw kept expanding. By that point, it had started moving closer to Sun as though it was aiming to swallow his scars.

Yang killed it with a well-aimed punch before it could attempt to do so.

Sun glared at its decomposing body. "I thought they weren't supposed to be aggressive… That thing tried to bite me!"

Yang shook her head. "Oh deer."

"Yang, no," Ren said.

"What? I'm just shocked that it happened. It was a staggering betrayal of nature!" Yang joked again, grinning.

"You really have to start thinking of better jokes," Sun sighed.

Yang would have kept going, but suddenly, an Ose pounced from the shadows, aiming straight for Sun.

Sun swiped at the leopard demon with his staff, redirecting its attack back into the bushes. The hit would have killed it had its spots-pale bone armor with red centers-not shifted to protect it.

More Oses crept from the underbrush. It was hard to count them, but there had to be around thirty. They lined the trees with their mysterious glowing red eyes and shifting spots.

Every time an Ose was about to take a hit, its spots would instantly shift positions to block it. They were resistant to offensive auras as well. Yang's bursts of flame hardly fazed them, and Nora's grenades weren't making much of a difference.

The Oses posed enough of a challenge to awaken a familiar hunger in Yang. She exhaled. The battle would take a while if she didn't use the Chimaera. Especially since the Oses may not be the end to the wave of Grimm reacting to Salem's awakening, it would probably be best to use the Chimaera's powers now to preserve everyone's stamina.

Yang dodged an Ose, then activated her semblance. Once in that state, she leveraged that hunger to awaken the Chimaera. Her eyes became fully red, and her Grimm scar went from being numb to highly sensitive. Finally, her golden flames flickered, then turned black.

Sun's tail fluffed in shock. Yang had never been able to do that before… should he be worried?

Apparently not. Yang smirked. "Why don't we heat things up a little?" she said, her voice laden with a darker hue. Then, her aura spiked, and her flames began to disintegrate the Oses on contact. As they decomposed, the black mist swirled into Yang's scar. Her fire was cold to Sun, but to the Oses, it was unbearable.

He was so busy gaping at her that he didn't notice an Ose sneaking up on him. It leapt at him, powerful arms wrapping around him, fangs reaching for his neck. Yang lit it on fire. As it was burning, Pyrrha pulled it off of him before it could bite. Its claws dragged down his torso, slashing through both of his scars.

Sun's stomach sank. Almost immediately, a cold frigid enough to floor him spread from his Grimm scar.

Yang paused, sensing the change before she saw it. The hunger intensified. She shoved it aside for long enough to finish off the Oses, but once the task was complete, it was hard to ignore. Acting on everyone's best interest, she deactivated the Chimaera to weigh her options.

Sun had already collapsed. The rest of team PNRPS rushed to his side. His Grimm scar was spreading faster than it ever had before-no doubt because Salem was awake.

Yang frowned. If she didn't do something soon, the Archdemon would consume him. But at this rate, she couldn't do anything to stop it from awakening. The only thing she could do was try to save Sun. That was easier said than done. How could she save him when his body was being corrupted?  
Well, if it was his body and not his soul…

Raven had once said that when someone died, their soul was exchanged with Dust or Grimm when it returned to the Void. The body was just a vessel, and the Archdemon wasn't associated with Sun's soul, it had just taken hold of his body. Therefore, if she separated Sun's soul from his body, the Archdemon wouldn't have to compete for control over its vessel. It would use the control it gained to manifest, then Sun's soul could return to his body without consequence.

But, his Dust scar complicated things. Would it compete with the Archdemon? If Yang sent Sun's soul to the Void, would it manifest?

She didn't have time to think that out. If she wanted to gamble, she needed to roll the dice now.

"Hey," Yang said. "I think I know how to save Sun, but the Archdemon is going to awaken. Does everyone think they can hold it off? If this is going to work, I have to leave for a while, so I won't be able to help."

Pyrrha furrowed her brow. "It sounds like we don't have a choice. But, if it's going to save Sun, we'll find a way."

The others agreed.

Yang thanked them, then called on the Chimaera's powers again. Her black flames enveloped Sun. "Cull," she ordered. His yellow soul separated from his body. There was no turning back.

Yang braced herself.

"Liberate."

As soon as Sun's soul disappeared, she opened a portal, and followed it into the Void.

/-/-/-/

Penny watched as Sun's Grimm scar turned to liquid. It pooled where it was, then spilled down his sides and into the grass. Everywhere it touched on his body turned black and pliable. After a few moments, the surface of his skin began to vibrate, and the liquid began to bubble. A thin, black mist escaped from Sun's mouth. The expiration hung in the air until the blackness leapt from his body to encase it.

From there, the bubbling mass tumbled onto the ground and spasmed to a rhythm resembling a pulse. The voices started to panic, and Penny did her best to quell them. When the mass begot muscles and limbs, however, they refused to quiet.

Penny readied her sword for battle. No matter what creature arose, her friends were counting on her. When the voices realized her determination, they quieted and leant her strength instead.

The Archdemon finally formed, standing beside Sun. It looked different from how it was described before, when it had spawned from Cinder. Lava spilled from its nose, and a monkey tail curled into the air. It had no wings, and its voice was an ominous, airy hiss. Legends and holy books say no two incarnations of the Archdemon were identical. It was always adapting to its situation, always assimilating facets of its vessels.

Before it could gain its bearings, Nora rushed it. Her hammer slammed into one of the Archdemon's ram-like horns. "Boop!" she shouted. The resulting explosion blew off the horn. She used the force of the blast to propel herself on top of its head.

Ren threw her one of his bearded axes, and she set about trying to chop into its mask while he hacked at its flank. Neither of them had much luck doing any damage-the Archdemon's skin and armor were like metal.

There were, however, two patches of skin on the Archdemon's back that looked like open wounds. The wing sockets. Ren was about to target one when the Grimm, aggravated by Nora's assault, grew two more monkey tails. They looked more ghostly than organic.

With its original monkey tail, the Archdemon picked Nora off and threw her into the trees. It used the other two to bat Ren away. After making contact, they dissolved into a dark cloud that shrouded the Archdemon. Now, it was hard to tell where the wing sockets were.

Not to be discouraged, Penny and Pyrrha replaced Ren and Nora on the offensive. After its run-in with Nora, the Archdemon preferred to keep its distance, and settled on spraying lava from its nose at them, then darting back into the mist.

Eventually, the mist cleared, and the Archdemon regrew its ghost tails. Nora and Ren had made it back to the clearing by then. Ren pointed out the wing sockets, and Pyrrha took an opportunity to throw her javelin into one of them. The Archdemon hissed in pain, then lowered its stance and shivered. Above the wing sockets, two radiating fields of yellow light pulsed into existence. Pyrrha attempted to retrieve her weapon using her aura, but the light fields nullified her semblance.

The Archdemon then inhaled through its mouth, and sprayed the clearing with lava. Its remaining ram horn grew red-hot. Lava leaked out of the hole where the other had been. Pyrrha blocked what she could of the lava, but it heated her shield to the point where she had to focus her aura on her arm in order to protect it. The others did their best to withstand the attack, but the lava inflicted severe burns on them.

Taking the chance, the Archdemon lashed Pyrrha into a tree with its ghost tails, which recreated the mist in the clearing. Using its horn, it rammed Penny into a puddle of lava. She quickly scrambled out of it, but not before sustaining serious burns. If she could feel the pain, she would have been unable to continue.

"Penny!" Nora cried. She turned to the mist and glared into it. Then, she took out a Dust slip. "Howl!" Besides blowing away the mist, the gust also spread a small flame, lighting the forest on fire. Nora chose to ignore it, and attacked.

The Archdemon glanced at the mist as it dispersed, then hissed and shivered. One of its light fields turned red. Before they could figure out what that meant, it used its tail to rip a sapling from the ground. It swung the tree at Nora. She spiked her aura and blocked it with her hammer. Ren ran over to help, and used his bearded axes to block the hit as well. They were pushed to the edge of the clearing, but were fine otherwise.

Nora laughed at the Archdemon. "Nice try!" But then, she noticed the forest fire getting closer to Sun. "Ren!"

Ren took the cue. "Conduction!" he called, activating the Dust spells on his axes. He and Pyrrha, who had just returned to the clearing, tried to distract the Grimm as Nora pulled Sun to a safer place.

The Archdemon lowered itself to the ground and prepared to spray lava at them again, but Ren flipped over it, landing onto its back and attacking its wing socket with his axes. The Archdemon's flesh tore like paper, but its red field of light nullified Ren's Dust spell, and the yellow field deactivated his aura. The Grimm knocked him off with its tail, then stepped on him, hissing all the while. Its claws sank into and shredded his left eye. His blood-curdling scream stopped Nora in her tracks.

Pyrrha threw her shield at Archdemon's head, drawing its attention away from Ren. It lunged at her, swiping at her with its front leg. She dodge-rolled under it, retrieved her shield, and sprinted forwards to grab her javelin. As she ripped it out, the Archdemon's ghost tails reappeared. Another wave of mist blanketed the flaming clearing. It turned on Pyrrha, blasting her shield with lava until she couldn't hold it anymore, then biting her when she finally let it go. Locked in its jaws, Pyrrha's aura could only hold up for so long. The lava blackened her skin, and her weapon couldn't do enough damage to make it release her.

"Let her go!" Penny yelled. She caught a glimpse of the Archdemon's wing socket and stabbed it where Pyrrha's javelin had just torn, digging the blade deep into its body.

The Archdemon faltered, its hind limbs gave out for a second, but it recovered a moment later. Penny refused to give up. She plunged her sword into its wing socket a second time, braving the yellow light field. With her aura deactivated and her injuries as they were, however, her body gave out.

She'd forgotten about her burns, and couldn't understand why she was collapsing. The Archdemon easily shook her off. It then threw Pyrrha into her. Both of them broke through a tree next to Nora. Both of them lost consciousness.

Nora's eyes widened in terror. The Archdemon hissed and approached, and she took a shaky step backwards. "No…" She looked around. Her friends were dying, and as she met with the Archdemon's glowing red eyes, she realized she was next. "No," she repeated. Her aura spiked and flickered in unstable patterns.

The forest fire advanced towards them. Upon seeing this, the Archdemon slowed to watch them die.

At that moment, Penny stirred. The voices were back, telling her she needed to get up and find Dust. To use the spell. What spell? It then occurred to her that she could actually understand what they were saying. "I need to find Dust…?" she whispered. The forest fire was blazing towards her. There was no way she'd be able to go search for any. But, the voices were demanding she hurry. "What spell?" Penny asked them, but they wouldn't tell her until she found the Dust.

Penny raised her head a millimeter or so to scan her surroundings. Her vision was blurry. Nora was above her, panicking and coughing. The smoke must have made it hard to breathe.

"Penny…" a voice rasped. It was Pyrrha. "I… can't bring myself believe in destiny. I've tried to place my trust in a higher purpose, but it all comes crashing down when my friends get hurt." Her voice faded for a moment. "And yet… if I were to have a destiny, perhaps this would be it. I will become your Dust." She tried to move, but inhaled sharply in pain instead. "Maybe the stars are cruel… and this was the plan from the start… but I'm choosing to find my own meaning. Penny, I want to save you and the others. I want you to use my soul."

Penny shook her head. "I can't do that, Pyrrha. Even if it means destroying the Archdemon, I can't let my friends die." The voices berated her for that, but she could sense Dust nearby. She just needed to find it.

"Please, let me do this."

Penny didn't respond.

The fire was growing closer…

Penny forced her arms to push herself up. That was when she saw it. Sun's body, with its blue lips and fingertips, had fire Dust blooming from its ribcage. Penny crawled forward and tore it out of him.

Both of the light fields above the Archdemon's wing sockets turned red.

Penny didn't care. She held the Dust in her hands and aimed it at the Grimm. The voices were so loud, couldn't even hear herself say, "Beam."

A lime-green concentration of energy blasted forth with a deafening roar. It hit the Archdemon and obliterated its mask and horns, effortlessly plowing through its body. The Archdemon's light fields flashed between red and yellow, but neither had an effect on the beam.

Wind gales emanated from it, blowing out much of the forest fire while the beam itself blew a hole in the forest.

When all of Sun's Dust had been consumed, the beam faded. Nora, Pyrrha, and even Ren couldn't believe what they had just seen. In moments, the Archdemon had been removed from the face of Remnant. All that remained was a thin mist.

/-/-/-/

Finding Sun's soul in the Void was a task; convincing it to return to Remnant was an ordeal. No matter what Yang said or did, it kept floating towards the ocean waves. She even tried grabbing it and dragging it back through a portal, but her hand passed right through.

"Sun, wait! What about Penny, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren? You're not just going to let them fight the Archdemon alone, are you?"

His soul didn't slow its pace. Yang needed to try something else.

"And, what about Neptune? If you just decided to die, it would crush him!"

His soul paused for a beat, listening.

"The Archdemon isn't in your body anymore, Sun. You don't have to do this!" Yang stressed. "I know you said you weren't afraid to die, but you never said you would choose to, either. You don't have to live at the mercy of your scars anymore. Please, let me take you back. Everyone's waiting for you."

After a long while, Sun's soul finally changed directions and headed towards Yang.

"Thank you," she said, opening a portal back to Vale.

When they returned to the clearing, the Archdemon was gone, everyone was seriously injured, and the forest was on fire. Yang felt sick. If she hadn't taken so long, maybe it wouldn't have ended like this. There was a mist in the air that triggered her hunger again-it must have been the Archdemon's remains.

If the the Archdemon wasn't trapped, it would continue to reincarnate… Yang activated the Chimaera to absorb it. While it was activated, she suffocated the forest fire with her own flames.

Meanwhile, Sun's soul returned to his body. After some time of waiting in anticipation, however, Yang wasn't sure if he was in the clear. His aura wasn't activating, and his lips were still blue… had they waited too long?

Nora even performed CPR, but there were no visible changes.

Yang's look darkened. "I… I think his body's dead."

"But, his soul's still here. C'mon, Sun, wake up!" Nora pleaded.

"In order for him to live, he needs both. We can't bring him back like this… I… I think he's gone."

"You can't just send him back to the Void!" Nora argued. "Not like this!"

"Nora!" Yang snapped. "If I could save him, I would, but we already tried that and it didn't work! I don't even know how to help!"

Nora flinched. She glared at Yang. Tears pooled in her eyes. "You don't even care what happens to him, do you?"

Yang's black flames spiked. "How could I not care? He's my friend, too!"

"Then save him!"

"I can't!" Yang screamed. Angry tears slipped from her red eyes. "He's dead."

Silence ensued. They stared at Sun's body. Was his soul fighting to resurrect it? Could he feel death? Was he in pain?

"You really tried everything?" Nora whispered.

Yang nodded gravely. "Yeah."

Nora started to cry.

Yang exhaled shortly and steeled herself. "I'm so sorry, Sun… I thought I could make it work, but I guess… it was out of my control." Her black flames wrapped around Sun's corpse one last time.

She closed her eyes.

"Liberate."

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Leave Again, Meet Again


	34. Leave Again, Meet Again

~~AAAND START!~~ (Leave Again, Meet Again)

Salem stared at her many reflections in the mirror room. It was still striking that this was what she had become. How sad. Her hair used to have color, and her eyes used to be more vibrant. After being in ice for thousands of years, she suspected she'd developed arthritis. Her face and figure still had the softness of youth, but her muscles and bones grated stiffly when she moved. And, there was no place she could look without being reminded of the demon that whispered to her.

Once, she'd destroyed the fabric of the world to help her people. Her hopes were a product of naiveté… And the result of that would need continuous correction over the rest of eternity.

Yang entered the mirror room. Dozens of reflections followed her. Salem gazed at them, sensing their creator walk up beside her.

"You must have taken in my counterpart," Salem concluded. She could feel their scars being pulled together.

"Yeah," Yang said, nodding. Her eyes held grief in them.

"There are times when certain outcomes cannot be avoided, no matter how hard you try. In life, people lose and regain control too many times to count… but what really tears humanity apart is how much they cannot control. This is what allows for growth, and what paves the way to destruction. And when we realise we are nothing more than grains of sand, we despair."

Yang eyed her.

Salem continued looking at the mirrors. The room's skylights created small spots of glare in the ring of reflections. "When you succeed my position as 'Goddess,' you will be attempting to control the uncontrollable. And, you might lose yourself, or you might lose your humanity in the process."

"Which did you lose?" Yang asked quietly.

Salem turned to see Yang's physical being. Her reflections turned with her. "I lost both."

Yang shook her head. "I don't know what really makes anyone anyone… but, does it matter? You're still you, even if that's different than it was a thousand years ago."

"It will. Thousands of years from now, you will awaken and there will be no familiar faces to greet you… and fifty years from now, your friends and your lover will die knowing only your frozen face. Are you prepared for that?"

Yang grew quiet.

Salem's gaze chilled. "Are you torn?"

"No, I was just thinking," Yang replied decisively. "If it means protecting the people I care about, I'll pay the price."

Salem nodded. "I will be travelling to the old battleground where I defeated the Archdemon long ago. Gather what support you can. When four months have passed, you must kill me and the Archdemon, or watch the world fall." At that, she walked towards the door.

"Salem," Yang called just before she left. "I don't think many people would have done what you did."

"You're right," Salem said. "Not many people have done what I've done."

Then, the door closed, leaving Yang to her reflections.

/-/-/-/

They Burned Sun's corpse in the forest, and resolved to set off for Mistral as soon as their wounds had healed. When Yang left in a portal, Pyrrha knew she'd become a Keeper. To get more answers, they had to see her in person. Why had she become a Keeper? What was happening?

But, for now, they were stuck in the forest. Quiet sat heavily with them, keeping pressure on their bandages. No one had spoken much since the "funeral." Pyrrha was trying to write a letter to Neptune, but she could hardly hold the paper let alone the charcoal.

"We're still spelling it Team PNRPS," Nora said. She was sitting up against a charred tree. "The 'S' is silent."

When she put it like that, Pyrrha could feel the back of her throat tighten. She furrowed her eyebrows and blinked.

What she said about destiny during the fight with the Archdemon was true. She couldn't accept the supposition that everything was predetermined. If that was the case, there was no point in living life to the fullest, or of feeling so deeply.

But, in a way, what Pyrrha said during the fight was also a lie. Maybe she didn't believe in a predetermined destiny, or of a divine will, but… she believed in crafted destiny. In Mistral, it was said that certain people could realise their own destinies. These people were assets to Keepers. People worth protecting.

To Pyrrha, everyone was worth protecting. Actions paid off, short-term decisions created consequences in the long run, and people could make meaning out of anything. Maybe it was safer to say that there were "probable outcomes" to a person's life. Or, maybe it was safer to say people looked at the stars when they wanted to justify their desires.

When Jaune died, she had looked for a divine purpose behind it all. Hadn't she just wanted someone to tell her his life wasn't for nothing? That her life wasn't continuing without him for nothing? And, though the grief felt necessary, being so hung up on why things were happening put a lot of her life on hold. Searching for meaning outside of oneself was an endless cycle of lighting candles in a windstorm.

So, when Sun died, she resolved to go to Mistral.

Pyrrha couldn't say if any of her thoughts were "right" or "wrong" or something she'd agree with years from now. But, there was a quiet resolve building within her like the foundation of a fortress.

Pyrrha glanced at Penny, who had been asleep since the fight yesterday. Where would she be without her? Probably still wallowing or on a twisted, self-righteous path. Pyrrha knew she was lucky to have met her.

She exhaled, wincing as her burns flexed and cracked. They started to bleed again.

Sun died, so they'd resolved to go to Mistral…

For now, then, Pyrrha considered finding Yang to be her "destiny."

/-/-/-/

In comparison to Raven's temple in the countryside, Salem's temple in the capital city was more of a castle than a place of worship. There was even a gold-plated amphitheatre where a full-time staff of bards played the holy epics. Salem stopped to listen to one once. Thousands of years had left quite a bit of room for creative interpretation. Her exploits hadn't just been embellished, they'd been rewritten. The Goddess was a fictional character. Salem had been forgotten in the shadows of ancient history.

She found Raven in the library, going over the Schnee Dust Company's accounts. In order to keep the global economy from collapsing, the company still needed to be managed. Raven had been monitoring it for years, meaning the she was most qualified to handle the change of leadership. Especially since she was responsible for it. The other Branwens had been asking for funds to repair temples or broaden their spheres of influence, but so far, Raven had denied them all. If she had plans for the money, she hadn't stated any.

"Raven," Salem said.

Raven immediately set down a stack of papers and directed her full attention to Salem.

"I want you to amend your contract with Yang. Allow her to see her lover," Salem said.

"Her separation from Blake was a stipulation I implemented to-"

"Raven, of all emotions, love is the most enabling." Salem pulled out a chair and sat at the head of the table. "You will do this."

Raven looked at her for a moment, then blinked and dipped her head. "It's already done."

"Et quam. How are the accounts?"

"Not troubling." Raven pulled a stack of papers together and tapped them into a pile. "The matter should be settled in a month. In the meantime, Yang will replace me as Keeper."

"Your daughter seems to hate you, yet your people love her," Salem noted with some interest.

"How she feels about me is unimportant," Raven replied flatly.

Salem tilted her head back a centimeter or two. "Yemf roye obel, the best thing you've done for that girl is remove your presence from her life."

"That may be so."

"You have always been falling. You felt your choices were necessary in order to be able to continue-to rise. But, those decisions chained the light in you. You are bound by the weight of your burdens, and the nature of your soul. Though, I remember you used allow yourself some happiness. Long ago, I felt it through the ice."

Raven's expression remained unchanged. "That was too long ago to be of any consequence now."

Salem ignored her response. "That orphan… Did she remind you more of yourself than your own daughter? And yet, your good intentions shattered her. You showed her something only we have the eyes for… In life, we reach out to things for various reasons, not all of them good. But, I believe you freeing her from her fate was one of the few times where your light shone through." Salem stood, pushing in the chair. "My successor surpasses you. Do you feel it? Our end is drawing near. It has been a long time… for both of us."

"I will continue for as long as I am needed," Raven told her. The Schnee paperwork sat around her as a testament to that.

Salem looked at the books; copies of historical records, literature, and other texts lined the shelves. They were so old she could read them in her mother tongue. "Yes, if nothing else, you have been faithful…"

/-/-/-/

Blake was drinking a cup of herbal tea in the archive room while she and Emerald read from the Branwens' selection. Yesterday, a wave of Grimm had suddenly attacked the temple and surrounding villages. Raven was nowhere to be found at the time, so the two were the only relief effort for many of the citizens in the area. Both of them were still stiff and injured and not exactly on speaking terms, but after fighting together like that, they'd reached an understanding.

After finishing the last page of a biography's epilogue, Blake closed the book and went to return it to the shelf. Just as she finished sliding it into place, her ears shot up and her breath caught.

Yang.

That feeling was unmistakable. She was definitely here, and it was definitely real.

Blake made a break for the door, rushing towards the feeling. It occurred to her that, if the contract was still in effect, this was probably when she would die. But, as long as her feet could move, they flew.

And, as she made her way down the hall, her heart skipped a beat. Yang was still in Harmonists' robes, and her smile hadn't changed either. Blake slowed, taking it in, reminding herself again that it was real.

Yang's smile widened and she laughed, pulling Blake into a hug. "I see you got my package," she said.

"I did," Blake purred. "You kept me waiting long enough. I prefer you never leave again."

For some reason, that single sentence made Yang wilt. Her grip loosened, and her eyes conveyed a melancholic apology. "Uh… about that."

/-/-/-/

Life on the high seas was tough. At least, in the beginning, it was. Grimm came from sky and sea alike to attack their boat. If not for Ruby and Weiss, the entire ship would have been destroyed. Progress was slow until they reached a dead zone far from Atlas.

Now, Ruby was ready to spend her first stretch of free time figuring out Merin's keyword. Just as she was about to open the spellbook, Weiss entered their quarters with a pot of hot coffee.

When she saw the spellbook on the floor in front of Ruby, she looked a little surprised. "You started without me?" she asked, sounding hurt and mildly offended. "I thought we would do that together."

When Weiss put it like that, Ruby felt like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't have. She was so used to doing rune work on her own that she'd just gone ahead and started. But, of course Weiss would want to do this with her. It was Merin's work, and they were more of a team now than ever. She scooted aside and patted the wooden floor next to her. "Sorry… I haven't opened it yet."

Weiss sat next to her. Once she was comfortable, she nodded. "Then, let's get started," she said with conviction.

They opened the book to the newest keyword. Large enough to fill an entire page, the mesmerising crimson stain was a break from the rest of the book's meticulous structure… It was hard to believe that was the last thing Merin had ever written. Weiss and Ruby stared at it for some time.

"It's… like a painting," Weiss said. She couldn't take her eyes off of it.

Ruby's mouth was hanging open. She shut it slowly. "I've never seen a keyword like this before. I don't even know how to read it. It's a completely different shape from the others."

"It's not very often that keywords are symmetrical," Weiss noted in agreement. "So. What's the first step in cracking this?"

"Um… Usually, I try to determine the time period and location the keyword comes from. That will give us clues on which sounds it uses, and what it does. Then, I figure out what type of Dust it uses," Ruby said. "But, since I've never seen anything like this before, I can't really say anything about it. If I had to guess, I'd say it's pretty old, though…"

"I see." Weiss knitted her brow in thought. "Well, I'm glad I got us coffee," she said. "We're going to need the caffeine."

Ruby exhaled. They probably weren't going to get much sleep that night. That said, she was more than determined to figure out the keyword's pronunciation. She and Weiss took a closer look at it.

The keyword was surrounded by brackets, and there was a circle in the middle of it. The symmetrical pieces inside the brackets-short lines and curves-seemed to revolve around the center circle, yet they also interlocked with themselves. Beyond that, there were no other unique features.

"Yeah… I have no idea how to read this," Ruby concluded.

"You can't just give up!" Weiss snapped.

"I'm not giving up, I'm just saying!" Ruby returned.

"There has to be something you recognize," Weiss said. "After all, you're one of the best rune masters on Remnant. If you can't do this, I doubt anyone else will be able to."

"Aw, thanks, Weiss," Ruby accepted pleasantly. Being acknowledged made her want to figure this out even more. "I guess we could try looking through the other spells in the book to see if anything else is similar."

"That sounds good."

Ruby nodded, and they flipped through the book.

Nothing was similar.

"Of course we couldn't find anything," Weiss stressed with some disdain.

Ruby groaned, then leaned in to get a closer look at the keyword. "For now, I think I'll just say it's not from the four kingdoms, and it's super old." She studied its shape for some time. "Maybe each of these little lines are separate runes."

"But, there's never been a circular rune before," Weiss said.

"Yeah, but maybe the center's just the center and it doesn't mean anything."

Weiss thought about that. "Then, how would you pronounce the lines?"

"I don't know, we'd need to measure their length and angles first," Ruby said. "And to do that, we need a point of reference. Do you think we should use the brackets, or…?"

"Just use the center. Everything revolves around it, anyway," Weiss reasoned.

"That makes sense." Ruby squinted at the keyword. "So… since it's symmetrical, will each sound appear twice? Or should we only pay attention to the part before the circle?"

"How would I know?" Weiss questioned.

Ruby shrugged. "I dunno. We can figure that part out later."

Well into early morning, they finally pieced together what they thought was the original pronunciation of the keyword.

Ruby wrinkled her nose at it. "P… Pau?"

Weiss put a hand to her temple and shook her head. "That doesn't sound right at all."

"I'm not starting over again," Ruby declared immediately. By now, they both had bags under their eyes.

Weiss wasn't about to start over, either. "Well, it is in another language, so of course it sounds weird. And, I'm sure we followed all the rules."

"Assuming it even follows the rules," Ruby mumbled. She downed another sixteen ounce cup of black coffee. "Okay, let's just move on. We're halfway done."

"Only halfway?" Weiss wailed. "At this rate, we'll be done by dinner tomorrow!"

"Mmm… we might catch a break, though," Ruby said. "Finding the common reading is always way easier than finding the true reading."

Weiss eyed Ruby with tired confusion. "The what?"

"We found out how the rune would be pronounced based on its structure alone, but now we need to find a name that means something to us. And, to do that, we need to change how it's written a little. Basically, we're making a sister spell."

"If we're just going to make stuff up, why did we need to spend so much time figuring out how it used to be read?" Weiss demanded with a hint of exasperation.

Ruby tilted her head to the side a bit. "Because then the time periods and cultures wouldn't connect. If we don't understand the context of the spell, we'll never be able to use it correctly."

Weiss stared at Ruby for a moment, then sighed in defeat. "Fine, let's continue. What do we need to do next?"

"We just come up with words that would fit an ice spell that's strong enough to freeze the Archdemon. If we're lucky, we'll be able to cast the spell with a few of them, and the strongest result will be the one we use."

"And, why can't we use 'Pau'?" Weiss demanded.

"Because what does that even mean? The spell has to mean something to people when they use it, or it won't work!" Ruby explained passionately. "That's why there are so many sister spells. They probably all came from one parent spell, but different cultures and societies interpret them differently in different time periods. That's what's so great about spells. As long as it connects back to the original, and it's kind of universal, anything goes. You can even change what kind of Dust a spell uses if you try hard enough."

Weiss shook her head. "I'd rather read a Dust operations manual backwards than do this every day."

Ruby laughed. "That's why we're a team, Weiss. I think runes are the coolest!"

/-/-/-/

Raven inspected the Dust slip Ruby had given her. The spell was pronounced "Absolute." It was a fitting word, considering the spell's purpose. To be the end of the Archdemon. She had asked for the slip in order to prove that the keyword worked, but judging by Ruby's disposition, there was no reason to doubt her claims that it did.

All that was left was to wait for the final battle…

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Abdication


	35. Abdication

~~AAAND START!~~ (Abdication)

Salem lay amidst blue flowers, soaking in the sunlight. The mountain she was on still had scars from her battle long ago, but the flowers had covered most of it. She could sense they had aura… it felt rather pleasing. The peaceful scene, with its gentle breeze and softness, kept her grounded. The Archdemon had taken the whites of her eyes. What color was left in her skin had faded… her body was dying.

Yet, she preferred this to the ice.

"Your blouse is undone," Yang said, walking up to her.

Salem took her in for a moment. Every time she saw Yang, something about her had changed. Salem doubted it really mattered, but for modesty, she fixed a single button on her shirt.

Yang sat next to her and ran a hand through her golden mane. "It's nice here… for being a battlefield and all. It's chilly back in Mistral."

"This mountain is actually a volcano. That and the flowers keep it warm here."

"Oh."

"Why have you come, Yang? You still have time…"

"I wanted to talk to you." Yang looked out over the flowers. "You convinced Raven to change the contract, right? I really appreciate that. Blake… I really needed to see her."

Salem exhaled quietly, closing her eyes to focus on the sun's rays. "And…? Did you come to a different conclusion?"

Yang laughed lightly. "She slapped some sense into me. Literally. I was telling her about what I was going to do, and she just got angrier and angrier… She asked me what she needed to do to make me understand what I was-what we are-capable of. She said my decisions had the power to tear her apart, and that she'd rather miss the world than me…" Yang shook her head. "Even if it hurt, I was willing to lock myself away forever. I'd convinced myself I didn't have a choice. I wasn't even going to fight it when the time came. But, I can't do that to her, and I can't do that to myself."

"You're not going to succeed me?" Salem asked, feeling twinge of anger spark within her.

"No, I will. But, I want to try things my way, you know? And, maybe I can't fix anything, but maybe things will change. Getting frozen's kind of a last resort."

Salem smirked. "You remind me of myself."

Yang shrugged. "I don't think we're that alike."

"No… You may be better." They sat in silence for a while. "Have you gained more allies?"

"Yeah. My sister and her friend showed up, and a bunch of my friends from Vale are here now, too. And, there's Blake… Oh, and some of Raven's villages agreed to help us fight. But, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." Yang fell back into the flowers and put her hands behind her head. She gazed at the clouds.

Salem wondered what shapes she saw in them.

"How did you absorb the Archdemon? Did you also have the Chimaera?" Yang asked.

"The truth of that day has been rewritten many times," Salem told her. "It was an ignoble feat. I didn't possess the Chimaera as you do. When I killed the Archdemon long ago, I sustained a mortal injury. And it, not wanting to leave Remnant, filled the cavity in my body as it decomposed. I doubt it thought I would control it. However, predictably, that control is slowly slipping away. I did not take the Archdemon in out of choice. I simply wanted to eradicate the threat I had brought upon this world."

A breeze blew, stirring the sweet scent in the air.

Yang closed her eyes as well. "Aren't you lonely? Living alone like this…"

"I have never been alone," Salem corrected. "When I enter the Void, all I see are the mists of time. Slowly rolling towards me, drifting away, and dissolving. And yet, the mist is always there."

"I think I know what you mean," Yang mused. "The Void is a strange place. And, so is Remnant. One moment, you think everything's written in stone, and the next, it all goes up in… mist. But then, even that mist feels like it's made of stone."

"Yang," Salem said abruptly. "No matter how many things change, nothing has ever transformed. And so, though you think you cannot do anything, your power is endless. Because all the ends we desire are the same as the beginning, you cannot fail. Do you understand?"

Yang hummed in acknowledgement. After a while, she whispered, "There really isn't that much time left. The next time we see each other will probably be the end. So… can I stay here just a bit longer?"

"You may do as you like," Salem told her. "It's warm here."

/-/-/-/

Raven knew there was merit to what Salem had said about love. There was a strength in Yang not present before she'd met up with Blake and Ruby. Or, maybe it was better described as completeness. She didn't quite understand it, but as she watched Yang kiss the tear in Blake's ear, and as Blake nuzzled into her... As Ruby and Weiss embraced them both in a group hug... Raven got the impression that she herself was missing something.

The impression lingered for a moment, then dissipated completely.

"What are you looking at?" Emerald teased.

"Nothing of importance," Raven concluded, turning away from everyone. "Yang. It's time."

Salem's blue mountain loomed in the distance… and Salem herself stood at its base.

One of her unsteady hands dug into her arm, but even if the pain distracted her for now, the Archdemon consumed the wound underneath the blood. She was struggling to breathe, and her legs shook, but she smiled when she saw them.

"Salem…" Yang breathed.

Salem shook her head. "Yang… I leave the rest… to you."

Remembering herself, Yang's gaze steeled, and she activated the Chimaera. "Right."

Salem closed her eyes.

"Cull. Liberate."

In the instant Salem's soul was released from her body, the Archdemon possessed her corpse. After being trapped in the same container for thousands of years, it had forgotten it could escape. And, being that it was drawn towards familiarity, the Grimm hardly considered exploring its options.

Salem's body grew claws and bone armor. Its eyes opened, glowing a merciless red.

Yang used the power she took from the Oses to grow bone armor of her own down her arm.

Raven stopped her from advancing. She couldn't afford to have Yang deplete her stamina now. "I will separate the two, but you must kill it."

Without waiting for Yang to respond, she reached for a small pouch and removed a tattered piece of an umbrella.

Yang recognized it instantly. "That's-"

Raven stepped into the Archdemon's path. From the orphan who sang so purely in the midst of filth, whose voice and reason were stolen by the Void… From the child whom Raven thought she could save-was it for redemption?-and who wrote the hermit's song… From the memory of that scorched body and twisted soul, Raven would draw power.

Neopolitan…

Raven exhaled. "The terms of this contract are as follows: In exchange for this relic, I will gain the ability to separate the Archdemon from its host. On the condition that my stamina will be used for this feat, it will be successful and final." She opened a portal and threw the fragment into the Void. "I agree to these terms."

The Archdemon, having gotten used to its new body, dashed forwards.

Raven blocked its claws with her sword, forcing it backwards with the power of her swing. She blinked, and her eyes turned white. Two copies of herself appeared behind Salem's corpse to hold it back. One had pink eyes, the other brown. As the Archdemon struggled to free itself, it shattered both of Raven's copies like glass, but they reappeared instantly and apprehended it again.

Raven's blade glowed as if it had been blessed by the northern lights-a perfect replica of Neopolitan's aura. Without wasting a second, she lunged forwards and decapitated the Archdemon's host. Salem's sable head fell to the ground with its red eyes still wide open.

And, from her neck gushed a sticky blackness that ran down the body's muscles and stuck like a second layer of flesh, only to drip off like water and mesh together again at its feet. The corpse fell, splashing in next to to the dark pool beside its head. As the liquid flooded out of it, the blackness faded from its skin until it looked like just another dead body; devoid of burden.

Raven sheathed her sword, then stumbled away on unsteady legs. After she passed Yang, Emerald helped her into a portal.

As soon as they left, feathers began to grow within the liquid. From the darkness, rose a pair of wings-not those of a dragon, but those of a bird. A human-like back followed it from the liquid, and eventually, a humanoid beast with the head of black ibis rose from the flood. When it stepped out of the flood, the liquid clung to its skin, leaving no traces on the mountain. The Archdemon was mammoth, with a clawed hand large enough to crush twenty people beneath it.

However, instead of lashing out, it observed its form, gazed around, then sat back on the mountain as if it were a throne. Resting its head on its hand, the Archdemon proceeded to close its eyes while it's blood-the black liquid of its creation-fell from its long, curved beak.

As it hit the ground, the blood spawned Dracos.

/-/-/-/

Pyrrha spiked her aura. "Ready!" she yelled.

Three villages' worth of highly-trained warriors aimed their swords and spears at the wave of Dracos flying towards them.

"Fire!"

As the volley of weapons sped towards the Grimm, Pyrrha used her semblance to triple their speed. The Dracos fell like rain, decomposing to leave black clouds on an otherwise clear day.

Ren, Penny, and Nora took out any that were still alive, or those who had approached on the ground. Ren's hair covered his missing eye, and his aura made up for the disadvantage of having only half of his vision. He could sense the Grimm approach, and his bearded axes with energy blades took care of the rest.

Penny would have used Dust to control her sword's movements, but because one group of Raven's warriors was forbidden from being near Dust, she limited herself to simply using her sword as she led a unit of warriors.

Pyrrha launched another round of weapons, then pulled the blades back to their owners with her semblance. Yang, Ruby, Blake, and Weiss weren't making a lot of progress on their end. The Archdemon wasn't waking up or taking damage, and the tide of Dracos was endless. If the tide was going to change, they'd need to take a risk. Based on what she'd observed so far, Pyrrha had a vague plan of action… she just hoped it would be enough. "Penny!"

Penny stabbed a Draco in the chest, then rolled out of the way before it could strike her with lightning. The Grimm spawned from the Archdemon's blood were young and weak by normal standards, but the death toll was climbing. Four of Penny's warriors were killed by the lightning Draco before she could finish it off.

"Yes, Pyrrha?" she shouted above the sounds of battle, falling back with her warriors to rethink their strategy.

"I think it's time to use it!" Pyrrha projected.

Penny put a hand over her eyes and gazed at the Archdemon for a split second, sizing it up. "I think you're right!" She inhaled. "Nora! Ren! We're going to use it!"

"Roger that!" Nora replied, throwing a grenade in the air to signal most of the warriors to fall back.

From the back of their ranks, a cart pulled by boulder hinnies pushed forwards. Six metal rods twice as big as Penny lay in the cart. Unbeknownst to the villagers, they were filled with Dust.

"Nora, let's clear a path!" Ren shouted, slitting a Draco's throat.

"You got it, Ren!" Nora responded.

Under their guidance, the cart advanced for quite some ways until a Draco froze the boulder hinnies, and another one shattered them. Had brave warriors from the villages not sacrificed themselves to move the cart, it would have never made it to the base of the mountain where Yang and the others were trying to damage the Archdemon. Blake was the only one making something reminiscent of progress-Equinox's blade cut through the Grimm's armor as if it weren't even there, but the Archdemon's skin was impenetrable.

Penny activated her semblance. "I'm ready!"

Pyrrha stood in position on the opposite side of the cart and activated her semblance as well. "Then, let's begin."

Each of them lifted three rods into air and manipulated them so that they spun around the Archdemon's beak, with their pointed ends facing it at different angles.

Sweat dripped from Pyrrha's brow. "On two! One!"

"Two!" Penny finished, and both of them impaled the Archdemon's beak with the rods. Each rod went in surprisingly easily-the beak must have been the Grimm's weakness.

Instantaneously infuriated, the Archdemon's eyes flew open. It tried to screech, but it could not manage to open its beak. Blood stopped spilling from its mouth, and its wings unfurled.

With a great gust of wind, it propelled itself skyward and beat its wings. The resulting wind current was so strong that the warriors not already claimed by the tide of Grimm were washed away with it. The squalls threw both them and the Dracos far from the mountain, and even uprooted patches of the blue flowers that clung tightly to the ground.

Pyrrha, Penny, and the others dug their weapons into the rocks to stay put. The wind wasn't as strong where they were, but that didn't make it easy. Once the Archdemon had determined enough of its aggressors were where it wanted them, it lifted a single finger.

A bright, violet column consumed the warriors-Salem's semblance.

When the beam faded, almost nothing remained.

Almost.

The flowers killed in it had turned to Dust.

At the sight of that, all the remaining warriors from the village Raven forbade from possessing Dust dropped dead, along with their families at home.

Upon seeing the sheer amount of Dust the flowers had made, Penny immediately rushed over to Ruby and Weiss. They spoke in as low of tones as their situation would allow, then nodded and stood.

Ruby used her semblance to speed Penny to the Dust, and Weiss set about creating large glyphs to the side of the Archdemon.

But, the Grimm wasn't about to be outmaneuvered. It trailed Ruby with vapor beams, ravaging the mountainside in a trail so close to her, it tattered her cloak. Eventually, however, the Archdemon ran out of stamina, and returned to creating wind gusts with its wings.

Weiss' glyphs changed colors, signaling that they were complete.

Ruby dug Crescent Rose into the ground. "Penny! Whatever you were going to do, do it now before it vaporizes us!"

"Don't worry, Ruby!" Penny said. "I'm combat ready!" At that, her eyes glowed an iridescent green, and the Dust crystals began to float. Penny steeled herself, then shouted, "Beam!"

The crystals fueled an energy beam that raged through the air, ricocheting off of Weiss' glyphs and severing the Archdemon's left wing. It would have taken off the right wing as well had the Archdemon not recovered enough stamina to lift its another finger as it fell from the sky.

"Penny, look out!" Ruby cried, tackling her out of the way of the vapor column.

In that moment, Penny lost control of her energy beam, and it veered off towards Yang and the others.

Ruby's eyes widened in horror. She and Penny didn't have enough time to react. There was no stopping it.

However, as the light cleared, both of them exhaled in relief. Weiss had created a line of glyphs to compact the beam, which Blake nullified with Equinox's sheath. Both of them were completely worn out from that… Pyrrha and Yang scooped them up and ran them to safety.

At that moment, the Archdemon crashed into the mountain, rupturing the layer of earth surrounding the main vent to what a volcano thousands of years old. Molten lava leaked out from around the Archdemon, spilling down the mountain and burning the flowers in its path. The Archdemon itself wasn't affected.

Yang narrowed her eyes, then activated the Chimaera. "Pyrrha," she called. "I need you to open its mouth. Ren, Nora, make sure Weiss and Blake are safe."

Before they could move, the Archdemon summoned a vapor beam from the palm of its hand. Yang conjured a yellow light field to negate it. Lava dripped from her nose.

Pyrrha took a deep breath, then used her semblance to remove the six rods from the Archdemon's mouth. At that point, however, her aura deactivated from the exertion. "Yang, that's as much as I can handle," she said, gasping for breath.

Yang nodded, though she could barely hear her. After thanking Pyrrha, she walked into the lava, then knelt down in it, completely unfazed. "I can almost remember…" she whispered, but her voice was lost in the deafening roar of the remaining Dracos and approaching magma. Yang inhaled, head tilting towards the sky. It looked like she mouthed something - Cinder? Pyrrha found it hard to tell. Then, Yang shuddered and coughed out lava.

Pyrrha took an unstable step towards her, but there wasn't anything she could do to help.

However, it didn't look like Yang needed any help. Now, lava streamed from her mouth, not her nose. She stood. Turning, she shot out bursts of black flame to kill and absorb what Dracos were left. Then, she returned her attention to the mountain, slowing down the flow of the magma.

Yang smirked. "This is going to be loud…"

At that, she raised her hands, and the lava began to float. She closed her eyes and focused for a moment, then opened them abruptly.

On command, Yang made the volcano erupt.

And, she funneled the hot blood of the earth into the holes in the Archdemon's beak. It screeched and thrashed and protested, but she could hardly sympathize. Vapor beams shot outwards here and there, but not anywhere worth concern. One extended dangerously close to the faint outline of the broken moon, just narrowly missing it.

Eventually, the volcano quelled, and the Archdemon began to decompose.

Yang collapsed, falling into the ash about her. Her Grimm scar devoured the black mist spewing from the Archdemon's remains. Pyrrha picked her up and staggered down the mountain with her to reunite with the others.

Yang smiled weakly at the bottom of the mountain. "Well… glad that's over," she said to everyone.

Looking back at it, the mountain was more of a mangled, black mess, now.

"We did it!" Ruby cheered. Then, she became more serious. "How do you feel, Yang…?"

"Great," Yang joked. "I made a volcano erupt."

"I can't even pretend to be surprised," Weiss said.

"What about the Archdemon?" Blake questioned.

Yang shrugged. "I'm still taking it all in." The black mist was still funneling into her scar. "We'll know soon, though. It's almost done." She shivered. "Pyrrha, would you mind putting me down? I'm a little cold."

Pyrrha set her down on a boulder.

They waited for some time for the decomposition process to finish.

At the end of it, Nora was about to ask if Yang's scar was spreading at all when Raven reappeared from the Void. Emerald wasn't with her.

"I take it the deed is done," she concluded.

Yang nodded.

"I'm pleased." Raven walked towards her, taking a Dust slip from her pocket. "This is the end… Goodbye, Yang." And, before anyone could stop her, she uttered, "Absolute."

/-/-/-/

When Yang turned white, Blake thought she heard the sound of something tearing. Her aura spiked. As far as she was concerned, Raven had just signed a contract for her own death.

Raven eyed the group for a split second, then blinked behind Ren and Nora. She wasn't the only one with speed anymore, though. Ruby blocked her sword, and Blake electrocuted her.

Raven's muscles locked up for a moment, but she increased the intensity of her aura to null the effect, and leapt away.

"I thought we were on the same side!" Ruby shouted. "Yang didn't deserve to be frozen!"

"This isn't about what Yang deserves, it's about what Remnant needs," Raven answered simply. "And for that, I'm willing to go to any length." She exhaled, then brought out a necklace with the holy symbol on it.

Ruby froze. "Wh… Why do you have Uncle Qrow's necklace?"

"The terms of this contract are as follows," Raven began. "In exchange for this relic-"

"Why do you have it?" Ruby screamed. Her aura's intensity skyrocketed. Her rose petals multiplied, then began to congregate. "Tell me why!"

Raven paused the dictation of her contract. "It's common for a family member to reclaim an heirloom from someone who has been estranged…"

"What do you mean?"

"It seems Qrow felt a certain responsibility towards Yang when she was born, which drove him to become involved with you two. After your parents were killed by the Archdemon, however-"

"The Archdemon?"

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Did you think it was an ordinary Draco? We were too late to save Summer and Taiyang… Qrow vowed to care for you two, but his guilt pushed him to alcoholism. Since he became defective in more ways than one, I terminated him discreetly."

Ruby gasped. "Defective? That's… You killed Qrow…? He's dead… because of you?" Her eyes glassed over in rage. Her rose petals became razor-sharp. They pulled themselves together to form a budding rose. "Full Bloom," she said quietly, morbidly. The rose blossomed, and the petals dispersed.

Ruby herself was no longer visible… until she reappeared in front of Raven with hundreds of bladed petals following in her wake.

/-/-/-/

Yang had felt this "nothing" somewhere before… What seemed like lifetimes ago when she'd been Culled by the Reaper. Except, now, she knew where she was. Her body was completely overtaken by the Dust spell-she couldn't even feel the cold.

Fury seethed within her when she realized that Raven had betrayed her… but, another presence caught her attention.

The Chimaera.

It whispered to her sweetly and without words, asking her to submit to it since her body and soul were confined. Yang ordered it to shut up.

Sure, she was confined, but she wasn't trapped… There was somewhere else she could go. The Void.

But, if she left her body now, wouldn't the Chimaera be able to possess her all the same?

Maybe not. She could sense that the Chimaera was bound to her. She was the one who called it into Remnant. Therefore, she could be the one to take it back.

Along that line, if she forced the Chimaera, which had absorbed the Archdemon, back into the Void, maybe she could keep the Archdemon there for good.

Yang entered the Void.

The paradoxical ocean stretched out before her… Her golden soul floated above the waves. In the distance, she could see two, distinct, glowing lights. A yellow light blessed by the ocean's flames, and a violet light blessed by the ocean's wind. Sun and Salem… had they been waiting for her? There was no way for her to ask.

From the side of the ocean without waves came a certain presence. The Chimaera, which had no form on Remnant, had taken her form here. Yang watched a colorless version of herself don the mask of a lion. Here in the Void, black was a color reserved only for souls.

In a vertically aligned ring above the Chimaera's head floated the masks of all the Grimm she'd absorbed. The ring rotated, and it picked the Archdemon's mask from the selection, switching it out with the lion's mask.

So, even now it loved the taste of power…

Yang, Salem, and Sun's souls circled it, then went in for the attack. All three of them had been hosts of the Archdemon. All three of them felt like they were fighting an old nemesis-a nemesis with no secrets left to hide.

The color from their souls pushed back the colorlessness of the Chimaera, submerging it into the waves of the ocean, drowning it. Eventually, Yang knew they'd reached a turning point. The mask of the Archdemon was about to go under… and forcing something that had been on Remnant since it came into existence back into the Void could not happen without consequence. Something would need to give.

Salem's soul hesitated. Yang wondered if she knew what the consequence was, but there was no way to ask.

In the end, they forced the Chimaera completely into the nothingness of the Void. Yang watched as it, Sun, and Salem all faded into the sea. Once she saw them all disappear, she knew she was severed from the Chimaera completely… and that it, the Archdemon, and her friends had ceased to exist.

Something else had gone, too, she just didn't know what.

/-/-/-/

Emerald rushed out of the portal. She'd felt the change in the Void, and despite not having opened a portal before, she managed to pump enough power from her blood to do so. "Raven!"

Raven was dead.

A few feet away, Equinox and Crescent Rose dripped with blood.

Emerald couldn't say she was surprised, but that didn't make coming to terms with reality any easier.

Yang, now scarless, had just woken up. She and her friends paused in their bittersweet reunion to stare Emerald down.

Emerald took a step back, then stopped and shook her head. "I'm not your enemy," she said.

After a few seconds, the tension in the air defused.

Refocusing on Raven's corpse, Emerald pulled out a Dust slip to Burn the body with.

Except…

There was no Dust.

~~AAAND END!~~

AN: Wow, that's the end of the story! Woo! What a run! With that, the series comes to an end. Thoughts about part two? If you still haven't read part one, check it out! It's called _The Witch of Vale._

This was so much harder to write than part one, tbh. But, I enjoyed the torture, haha. I'm quite proud of what I've done… I can only hope you all have enjoyed the story as much as I have.

A few things before I go... I've spent some time gathering accounts of what everyone went on to do in the future. This is what I've heard:

First, it should be known that because Dust has gone from Remnant, Aura is now humanity's sole hope of survival. Thus, they are forced to turn to Menageran Faunus for guidance and diplomacy. The Hunter's League, and international group dedicated to training Hunters and controlling Grimm is formed at this time. The survivors of Mountain Glenn were some of the key players in founding the orgainzation.

Yang remains a Keeper. She has become a clan leader and is intent on ensuring that Dust and the Archdemon do not return to Remnant. She donated much of the Branwen's land and money to the Hunter's League (HL), including the SDC's money. She returned Weiss' personal funds to her. Most notably, Raven's temple is used as the grounds for Haven Academy, where young Hunters are trained. Yang also spends a lot of time with Blake in Menagerie. The Faunus respect her for bringing Harmony back to Remnant, and regard her as a hero that has ushered in a new era of progress between humans and Faunus. Rumor has it, she and Ghira get along quite well.

Emerald is a librarian/historian at Haven Academy, and is certified through the HL.

Blake is a Menageran HL representative who advocates strongly for Faunus rights on both a global and regional scale. She is held in high regard by her people. She is also a formidable Hunter.

Weiss is a HL representative that deals directly with the four kingdoms. She is feared by all business people because she knows dirt on everyone, though no one knows about her because her family has been forgotten due to Raven's contract.

Ruby is a HL field researcher working with Penny to analyze the correlation between old keywords and aura abilities. She is interested in seeing if people can learn to cast old Dust spells with their aura alone.

Penny is a HL Professor at Beacon Academy in Vale. She is researching aura, including dead zones and the link between personalities and aura elements. Unlike Ruby, she enjoys teaching. Like Ruby, she enjoys Hunting.

Nora is part of the HL global relief team, and gives food to villages ravaged by the Grimm.

Ren is a medic traveling with Nora as part of the HL global relief team. He is researching the healing effects/capabilities of aura.

Pyrrha is a world-renown combat instructor at Beacon Academy, strategist, and Hunter with the HL.

Neptune is the HL's biggest supporter, and is now recognized as a good, far-sighted king. He funded the construction of Beacon Academy, using the land where his father's old home was to build it. This was all on the condition that the recreation center be named the Wukong Recreation Center.

Again, thank you to all my supporters. Cloy especially. Really. It means a lot to me.

Okay… That should do it. Farewell!


End file.
